A bus driver who allegedly could not speak English crashed into stopped traffic on Interstate 95 in Virginia early Friday, killing five people including two children.
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U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said federal investigators are examining how the driver was permitted to operate a commercial passenger vehicle despite reportedly lacking English-language skills required under federal transportation rules.
“Unacceptable,” Duffy wrote on X. “This is exactly why we are holding states’ accountable, enforcing the rules of the road, and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English.”
Update on the tragic bus crash in Virginia:
Five people are dead, including a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, after the driver of a motorcoach slammed into stopped traffic on I-95. @FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs and our investigators are on the ground at the crash… pic.twitter.com/NWPBd9aLPr
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 29, 2026
The crash occurred around 2:30 a.m. on southbound I-95 in Stafford County near Quantico after traffic slowed for a work zone, according to reports.
Authorities said the motorcoach failed to brake before slamming into stopped vehicles. A Chevrolet Suburban was pushed into an Acura, which burst into flames. Six vehicles were involved in the crash, and 44 people were transported to hospitals.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs and National Transportation Safety Board investigators responded to the scene.
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Among those killed were a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, Duffy said.
The New York Post identified the driver as Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York. Dong, a Chinese-born U.S. citizen, reportedly obtained his commercial driver’s license in New York in 2024.
Dong was injured in the crash, and charges are pending.
Four of the victims were members of the Doncev family of Greenfield, Massachusetts, according to the New York Post. Dmitri Doncev, 45, his wife Ecaterina, 44, and their children Emily and Mark were reportedly traveling to a wedding in South Carolina when their Acura was struck.
The fifth victim was identified as a 25-year-old woman from Worcester who was riding in the Chevrolet Suburban.
Duffy said federal investigators are now reviewing Dong’s driving history, training records and licensing documentation from New York state.
“Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny,” Duffy wrote.
Federal regulations updated last year require inspectors to immediately remove commercial drivers from service if they cannot communicate in English. The tougher enforcement standards replaced an earlier system that relied primarily on citations.
