Charter Bus Crash in Virginia Claims Lives
A woman from Massachusetts lost her life in a tragic charter bus accident in Virginia. Priscilla R. Mafalda, 25, was looking forward to her vacation in Florida. She had even promised to call a friend upon her arrival.
On the day before the crash, Mafalda sent a message to her co-worker, Taiz Ramos, expressing her excitement about the trip. “My friend, I am very tired, but thank God, I finally have a vacation. I am going to Florida,” she wrote.
Ramos anticipated connecting with her once she reached Florida. “I’m still waiting for that call,” he shared, visibly saddened. “Part of me still can’t believe she’s gone.”
According to Ramos, he and Mafalda worked together for several years at a house cleaning company in Worcester. He described her as “one of the kindest, hardest-working people I’ve ever known.”
Her boss, Monique Almeida, echoed similar sentiments. She remarked, “In the year she worked with us, she became more than just a co-worker. I will always remember her beautiful smile, her kindness, and the way she made people feel comfortable and cared about.”
Another colleague remembered Mafalda fondly, stating, “She leaves behind wonderful memories. She was an example of kindness, dedication, and love and had a lasting impact on all of us who had the pleasure of knowing her.”
Mafalda was originally from Inapim, Brazil, before moving to Massachusetts. A GoFundMe campaign to bring her back to Brazil for burial had raised over $21,000 as of Tuesday morning.
On the day of the accident, she and her husband, Igor Ernesto, were en route for their vacation around 2:30 a.m. when their bus collided with a Chevrolet Suburban in a highway work zone. While Ernesto survived, he sustained severe injuries and remains in the hospital.
The incident also took the lives of a Massachusetts family of four: Dmitri Dontsev (45), his wife Ekterina (44), their 13-year-old daughter Emily, and their 7-year-old son Mark, who were traveling to a wedding.
Nearly 50 other individuals were hospitalized due to the chaotic scene that ensued.
Virginia State Police announced that the bus driver, Jin S. Dong, 48, faces two counts of manslaughter and possibly more charges linked to the crash. Dong, an immigrant from China, obtained his commercial driver’s license from New York State in 2024, but reports indicate he did not speak English, prompting an investigation from the NTSB regarding his language skills.
The bus was traveling from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina.
Survivors recounted the harrowing experience. Passenger Wayne Tobin, who was en route to his mother’s funeral, described the aftermath, saying, “It was a terrible situation. It was like blood everywhere and people were holding their heads.”
Another passenger, referred to as Judy, remembered waking up amidst chaos, “I heard screams and broken glass as the bus overturned. Fellow passengers broke a window to get everyone out.”
