A bus crashed into vehicles slowing for a work zone on Interstate 95 in Virginia early Friday, killing five people and injuring dozens, including the driver, authorities said.
The crash happened at about 2:35 am on southbound I-95 in Stafford County, near Quantico, Virginia. All five of the people who died were in vehicles hit by the bus, and 44 people were taken to hospitals, including three in critical condition, police said.
"The preliminary investigation indicates that traffic was slowing southbound for an upcoming work zone," state police said in a news release. "A bus failed to slow for traffic and struck six vehicles."
Police said there were "approximately" 34 passengers on board the bus.
"We've got patients in multiple hospitals. We've got the driver at a hospital here," said Peyton Vogel, a Federal Transit Administration spokesperson who was on the scene. "I've got to say, this is one of the most tragic things I've ever seen. Absolutely tragic."
Four of the fatalities were in one car, which caught fire. State police said the victims were a 45-year-old male, a 44-year-old female, a 13-year-old female, and a 7-year-old male, all from Greenfield, Massachusetts. The fifth victim, a 25-year-old female from Worcester, Massachusetts, was in an SUV that was struck by the bus.
State police identified the bus driver as Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, NY Charges are pending, authorities said.
Bus company had satisfactory record
The bus was operated by E&P Travel, Inc., based in Kings Mountain, NC A compliance snapshot from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration showed only one injury accident involving the company's vehicles in the previous two years, and listed its compliance rating as "satisfactory."
The company was incorporated Nov. 24, 2023, by Shuo Liu, according to records from the North Carolina Secretary of State's office. Liu is also listed as the registered agent. The FMCSA site said the company operated four vehicles and had 11 drivers.
While it is too soon to say what caused Friday's crash, federal authorities have been grappling with interstate passenger bus safety issues for decades.
