The bus driver involved in a tragic crash on a Virginia highway that resulted in the deaths of five people has been indicted on additional charges. Prosecutors announced on Monday that Jing Sheng Dong, a 48-year-old tour bus driver from Staten Island, New York, faces three more felony charges of involuntary manslaughter. Stafford Commonwealth District Attorney Eric Olsen also mentioned a misdemeanor charge for reckless driving.
Earlier, on Saturday, Dong was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. Each count of involuntary manslaughter could lead to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. The accident left nearly four dozen injured, including Dong. He remained hospitalized as of Monday and will be transferred to the Rappahannock Regional Jail upon release.
The Virginia State Police’s initial investigation revealed that traffic was decelerating in the southbound lane of Interstate 95 in Stafford County as vehicles approached a work zone. The bus driver allegedly “failed to slow for traffic,” colliding with six vehicles around 2:35 a.m.
The National Transportation Safety Board is conducting a separate investigation. The bus, operated by E&P Travel of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, was transporting passengers from New York to North Carolina. The collision initially involved a Chevrolet Suburban, which then collided with an Acura SUV and other vehicles.
The victims in the Acura were from a family in Greenfield, Massachusetts: Dmitri Doncev, 45, his wife Ecterina, 44, and their children, Emily, 13, and Mark, 7. They were traveling to a wedding in South Carolina. Priscilla Mafalda, 25, from Worcester, Massachusetts, was identified as the victim in the Suburban.
This incident has brought attention to the safety measures on busy highways, especially near work zones. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances leading to the accident.