NTSB: I-95 Bus Plowed Half a Mile Through Traffic Before Killing 5 in Virginia

A bus that never slowed down

Federal investigators have determined that a charter bus traveling from New York City to Charlotte failed to brake at all as it barreled into a traffic queue on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, Virginia, early on May 29.wtvr The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report Thursday revealing that the bus struck the rear of two vehicles at the back of a work-zone queue, then continued south for approximately 0.44 miles — nearly half a mile — colliding with eight more vehicles before coming to rest in the median.wtvr Five people were killed and 44 others were injured.wtvr The speed limit along that section of I-95, including inside the work zone, was 65 mph, and weather at the time was reported as clear and dry.wtvr

A family-of-four among the dead

All five victims were from Massachusetts. Four were members of the Doncev family of Greenfield — Dmitri and Ecterina Doncev and their two children — who were on their way to a wedding in South Carolina when the bus struck their Acura MDX, which burst into flames.wtvr The fifth victim, Priscilla R. Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, died in a separate vehicle in the queue.wtvr NTSB board member Tom Chapman noted shortly after the crash that the severity of the collision suggested "little, if any, braking" had occurred before impact.wtvr

Driver faces growing criminal exposure

The bus driver, Jing Sheng Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, now faces five felony counts of involuntary manslaughter along with a misdemeanor reckless-driving charge.yahoo Dong was initially charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter after the crash; a grand jury later added three more counts to cover each of the remaining victims.patch He appeared in Stafford County court on June 10 while in a wheelchair and is next due in court on July 1.wtvr The bus was operated by E&P Travel Inc. of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, and investigators have previously said speed appeared to be a factor.wtvr

Months of investigation still ahead

The NTSB cautioned that the preliminary report is subject to revision as the investigation continues and that a final report — which will identify probable cause and include safety recommendations — is expected to take between 12 and 24 months to complete.wtvr Anyone with video footage from the crash was asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.wtvr The work zone that night was supporting an overnight pavement resurfacing project scheduled to run from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., with the center lane, right lane, and right shoulder of southbound I-95 closed along a 1.6-mile stretch.wtvr