U.S. Transportation Secretary Criticizes Bus Driver's Language Barrier Following Fatal Virginia Crash
The driver involved in a Virginia bus crash that resulted in five fatalities did not speak English, drawing significant criticism from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who deemed the situation unacceptable.
A bus driver involved in a crash on Interstate 95 in Virginia, which resulted in five fatalities, has been identified as not speaking English. This detail was underscored by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who criticized the situation as "unacceptable."
The accident occurred early Friday morning when the driver of an E&P Travel bus, traveling from New York to North Carolina, failed to slow down near a work zone, colliding with several vehicles. The crash led to the deaths of a 13-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy, and two adults from Massachusetts, as well as a 25-year-old woman in a car immediately in front of the bus. In total, at least 44 individuals were injured, with three reported in critical condition.
The driver, Jing S. Dong, 48, a naturalized citizen from China who received his commercial driver’s license in New York two years ago, sustained injuries in the crash and is currently under investigation, with charges pending. Duffy stated that the Transportation Department is examining New York’s licensing records and the driver's training history, emphasizing that any entity contributing to the employment of an unqualified driver will face scrutiny. Federal law mandates that commercial drivers must possess adequate English proficiency to ensure safety on the roads. Duffy also announced that proficiency tests for licensing would be required to be administered in English for all truckers and bus drivers starting in February.