Deadly Bus Crash on Virginia Interstate Claims Five Lives

A serious incident occurred on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, Virginia, around 2:35 a.m. when a bus collided with vehicles slowing for a construction zone, leading to the deaths of five people. The collision involved six vehicles and resulted in 44 individuals being transported to hospitals, with three in critical condition.

State police reported that all five victims were occupants of the vehicles struck by the bus, four of whom were from Greenfield, Massachusetts, and including two children. The victims have been identified, but their names were not publicly released by authorities. The fifth victim, a 25-year-old woman from Worcester, Massachusetts, was in another vehicle impacted by the bus.

The bus driver has been identified as Jing S. Dong, 48, from Staten Island, New York, and authorities are considering charges. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted that Dong is a U.S. citizen who obtained his commercial driver's license two years ago. A representative from the Federal Transit Administration described the scene as one of the most tragic he had witnessed.

The bus, operated by E&P Travel Inc., was found to have a satisfactory safety record, with only one injury accident reported in the past two years, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. A team from the National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating the incident, amidst ongoing concerns regarding motorcoach safety practices nationwide.

As of midday Friday, the affected southbound lanes of the interstate had been reopened, although traffic delays persisted in the area.