Five dead, 44 injured after bus hits cars on Virginia interstate

RICHMOND — A bus struck six vehicles on Interstate 95 in Virginia early Friday morning as traffic slowed for a work zone, killing five people and injuring dozens, including the driver, authorities said.The crash happened at about 2:35 a.m. 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 three of the injured were 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.”Four of the five victims were in the same struck vehicle, including two children, while the fifth was in another vehicle. The victims ranged in age from 7 to 45 years old, Demlein said.Multiple fire and rescue departments responded, including 13 transport units, two heavy rescue squads, multiple engines and trucks, and Fire and Emergency Services from the Quantico Marine Corps Base, according to Stafford County fire officials.Crews arriving at the site of the accident “encountered a devastating scene involving multiple vehicles, numerous injured occupants, and several vehicles on fire,” the Stafford County Fire Fighters Union said on Facebook.“Both Stafford County Heavy Rescue companies worked extensively to extricate multiple trapped victims while engine company personnel simultaneously operated to suppress vehicle fires and secure the incident scene,” the union said.An additional 44 people were injured because of the crash, Demlein said. Three of the 44 people transported to area hospitals sustained critical injuries, according to state police.“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.”The bus was operated by North Carolina-based company E&P Travel and was heading from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina, when the crash happened, according to state police. A total of 34 people were in the bus.The driver was one of those injured and has been identified as 48-year-old Jing S. Dong of Staten Island, New York, according to state police. Authorities are looking into Dong’s “actions prior to the crash” and charges against him are pending, Demlein added.Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said the department is assisting with the crash investigation and is reviewing Dong’s training documentation, driver history and New York licensing records.“My heart is with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and I am praying for a quick recovery for those injured,” Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said in a statement.