Bus driver charged in Virginia crash that killed five people | Virginia
A criminal complaint has been filed against the driver of the motor bus that killed five people and injured more than 40 people after an accident that occurred in Virginia on Friday morning.
Jing S Dong, 48, faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter and possibly additional charges, according to Virginia state police.
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is conducting a federal investigation into the wreck, said speed, speed, fatigue and language proficiency are being specifically investigated as factors in the massive crash.
The driver, a U.S. citizen from China, did not speak English, according to investigators. Officials also said it was clear there was little braking prior to the crash due to its speed and severity.
Dong, of Staten Island, New York, crashed into slowing vehicles as he approached a work zone on Interstate 95 in Stafford County around 2:35 a.m. Friday. Among the dead was a family of four from Massachusetts who were headed to a wedding in South Carolina with a carload of homemade desserts for the event.
The wedding was to be held on Sunday, but guests would also mourn the loss of Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their two children, Emily and Mark. He said on Saturday.
The family emigrated from Moldova in 2008 and settled in Greenfield, Massachusetts. Dmitri was a nurse at Holyoke Medical Center. Ecaterina was a hairdresser who spent several days preparing desserts for the wedding.
The family was driving with Dmitri’s brother Iuri but in separate vehicles.
“They broke up at some point,” relative Carolina Bublik said. Associated Press. “Dmitri said, ‘You go on. I’ll catch up later.’ It was a big shock when Iuri came home. Dmitri should have arrived at the same time. When his car didn’t arrive and he didn’t answer the phone, the family started to panic.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched until Sunday for the family’s funeral expenses. had exceeded $50,000 fundraising goal.
The campaign page stated that the Doncevs “have become a valued part of their community and touched countless lives” through their demonstration of “faith, kindness and commitment to others.”
Virginia state police said the E&P Travel bus Dong was driving from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina, did not slow down because of other traffic around the work area at the center of the case.
The bus hit a Chevrolet Suburban SUV, which hit the Acura driven by the Doncev family. Suburban Priscilla Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, also died in the crash.
Forty-four people were also treated for injuries.
Dong was taken to a nearby hospital for injuries sustained during detention. His first court appearance will be after he is discharged from the hospital, and the magistrate judge approved him to be held without bail until then, prosecutors said.
