Bus Driver Indicted on Additional Charges After Fatal Virginia Crash

Prosecutors announced that a bus driver involved in a deadly crash on a Virginia highway has been indicted on more involuntary manslaughter charges. The driver, Jing Sheng Dong, aged 48, from Staten Island, New York, now faces three additional felony charges linked to the recent fatalities. He has also been charged with a misdemeanor for reckless driving, according to Stafford Commonwealth District Attorney Eric Olsen.

Dong was previously charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Each of these charges could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years, as stated by the prosecutor. The accident took place early on May 30 and resulted in nearly four dozen injuries, including Dong himself. Dong remains in the hospital and will be moved to the Rappahannock Regional Jail once he is discharged, Olsen confirmed.

Virginia State Police’s initial investigation indicated that traffic was slowing in the southbound lane of Interstate 95 in Stafford County due to a work zone. The bus driver allegedly did not slow down in time and collided with six vehicles around 2:35 a.m. The National Transportation Safety Board is also investigating the incident along with state police.

The bus belonged to E&P Travel from Kings Mountain, North Carolina, and was carrying passengers from New York to North Carolina. The collision began when the bus hit a Chevrolet Suburban. This initial crash led to a chain reaction, causing the Suburban to strike an Acura SUV and other vehicles.

Four people in the Acura lost their lives, along with one person in the Suburban. The victims in the Acura were identified as Dmitri Doncev, 45, his wife, Ecterina, 44, and their children Emily, 13, and Mark, 7. The family hailed from Greenfield, Massachusetts, and were en route to a wedding in South Carolina. The victim in the Suburban was 25-year-old Priscilla Mafalda from Worcester, Massachusetts, according to state police.