Stafford County, Virginia — Five people, including a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, were killed and dozens more injured early Friday morning after a passenger bus slammed into stopped traffic on southbound Interstate 95 near a construction zone.

The crash occurred around 2:35 a.m. in Stafford County when the bus, operated by E&P Travel and traveling from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina, failed to slow down and struck at least six vehicles, triggering a devastating chain-reaction pileup.

Virginia State Police identified the bus driver as Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York. Dong, originally from China and a naturalized U.S. citizen, received his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) from New York State in 2024. He was among those injured in the crash. Charges against him are pending as the investigation continues.

According to authorities, traffic had slowed for an upcoming work zone when the bus plowed into the back of a Chevrolet Suburban, pushing it into other vehicles. Four of the five fatalities occurred inside one vehicle.

The incident has renewed concerns about commercial driver qualifications, particularly regarding English language proficiency and training standards for CDL holders. Critics have pointed to this case as another example of lives being put at risk when unqualified drivers are licensed to operate large passenger vehicles on American highways.

More than 34 people were transported to area hospitals, with at least three in critical condition. The bus was carrying approximately 34–57 passengers and crew at the time of the crash.

This tragedy marks yet another deadly incident involving a commercial driver who reportedly faced language barriers, raising questions about oversight in the issuance of CDLs across certain states.

The investigation remains ongoing, with Virginia State Police and federal authorities examining the driver’s actions, licensing background, and potential contributing factors such as fatigue or distraction. Southbound lanes of I-95 were closed for several hours following the crash.