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Five dead after bus collides with multiple vehicles in Virginia
Five people died and 44 others were hospitalized early Friday when a charter bus plowed into six vehicles on a Virginia highway, authorities said. The crash occurred in a work zone on southbound Interstate 95 in Stafford County.
Crash details and casualties
Virginia State Police reported the collision happened at approximately 2:35 a.m. local time (7:35 a.m. BST) near the 146-mile marker. The bus, operated by E&P Travel, was traveling from New York to North Carolina with 34 passengers on board.
Four of the fatalities were occupants of an Acura SUV that caught fire after being struck. Police identified them as a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl, and a 7-year-old boy from Greenfield, Massachusetts. The fifth victim, a 25-year-old woman from Worcester, Massachusetts, was in a Chevrolet Suburban that was also hit.
Three of the 44 people taken to hospitals remained in critical condition as of Friday afternoon.
Investigation and cause
Police said their initial findings suggest the bus failed to slow down for slowed traffic in the work zone. The bus driver, Jing S Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, was among those injured. Authorities have not yet filed charges but are examining Dong's actions before the crash.
The southbound lanes of I-95 were closed for seven hours while investigators processed the scene. Traffic was diverted until the roadway fully reopened later Friday morning, according to Virginia State Police spokesman Matthew Demlein.
Hospital reports and additional incidents
CBS News, the BBC's U.S. media partner, reported that 19 people were transported to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg. Five have since been discharged, while two remain in critical condition. Another 12 patients were taken to Stafford Hospital and have all been released.
A police spokesperson told a local news affiliate that two additional crashes occurred near the original collision site, though Demlein declined to confirm those reports.
Victims and next steps
Authorities have not released the names of the deceased. The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with police reviewing evidence and witness accounts to determine the exact sequence of events.
