Bus Driver Indicted in Fatal Virginia Crash on Charges of Involuntary Manslaughter

Virginia State Police announced on Saturday that the bus driver responsible for a catastrophic accident on a Virginia interstate highway has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. The collision, which occurred on May 29, claimed at least five lives and resulted in dozens of injuries.

On Monday, Virginia prosecutor Eric Olsen confirmed that driver Jing S Dong, who was also injured in the crash, faces five counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of reckless driving. Dong, a resident of Staten Island, New York, remains hospitalized under the custody of Virginia jail officials and is scheduled to be transferred to a correctional facility upon her release.

The indictment, handed down by a grand jury on Monday, adds to the charges filed over the weekend, which included two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Each count of involuntary manslaughter carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison.

According to the investigation, the incident began when Dong “failed to slow for traffic” on Interstate 95. The tour bus, operated by E&P Travel and traveling from New York to North Carolina, struck a Chevrolet Suburban at a “high rate of speed” as vehicles moved slowly through a work zone. The impact caused the Suburban to plow into other cars, igniting a fire and triggering a “chain reaction crash” involving at least eight vehicles.

Prosecutor Olsen stated that current evidence suggests Dong was operating the vehicle in a “criminally negligent manner.” The Virginia State Police arrested Dong on Saturday and served her with felony warrants while she was still in the hospital.

The crash resulted in five fatalities. CBS News Boston identified four of the victims as a family from Greenfield, Massachusetts: Dmitri Doncev, his wife Ecaterina, and their children, 13-year-old Emily and 7-year-old Mark. The family was en route to a wedding in South Carolina when their vehicle was caught in the fire. The fifth victim, 25-year-old Priscilla Mafalda, was driving the Chevrolet Suburban that was initially struck by the bus.

In the aftermath of the collision, approximately 44 individuals were transported to local medical facilities. Police reported that three of those patients sustained critical injuries. The investigation remains ongoing.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-06-01 23:51:01 UTC