GREENFIELD — The motorcoach that crashed into several vehicles in Virginia last month, resulting in the deaths of four members of a Greenfield family and a Worcester woman, traveled approximately half a mile from the initial crash site before coming to a stop, according to the preliminary report of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The NTSB is investigating the crash, which resulted in 44 people being taken to the hospital for injuries varying from minor to serious, and caused the deaths of five people: 45-year-old Dmitri Doncev, 44-year-old Ecaterina Doncev, and their two children, 13-year-old Emily and 7-year-old Mark, all of Greenfield; and 25-year-old Worcester resident Priscilla Mafalda. The board’s preliminary report was released Thursday.
The crash occurred at 2:32 a.m. on Friday, May 29, on Interstate 95 near mile marker 146.6, approximately 2 miles from the exit for Quantico, in Stafford County, Virginia. According to the NTSB, a traffic queue had formed on I-95 southbound as vehicles merged into the left lane because the center and right lanes and the shoulder were closed for a 1.6-mile work zone. A short-term work zone had been established for an overnight pavement resurfacing project, which had been scheduled to be completed by 5 a.m. that morning. The speed limit was 65 mph, and weather conditions were reported to be clear and dry.
A 57-passenger 2013 Van Hool C2045L motorcoach, operated by E&P Travel Inc. and driven by Jing Sheng Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, was traveling in the center southbound lane, the report continues. The bus was carrying 24 passengers and traveling from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina.
“The motorcoach did not slow as it approached the traffic queue and collided with the rear of a 2021 Chevrolet Suburban and a 2020 Acura MDX in the center lane at the end of the queue, about 1,000 feet north of the beginning of the right shoulder closure,” the NTSB wrote in its preliminary report. “The motorcoach continued south into the queue for about 0.44 miles, causing eight other vehicles in the queue to become involved in the crash events before it came to a stop in the median between the I-95 southbound lanes and the I-95 express lanes. A post-crash fire consumed the Acura.”
The Doncevs were in the Acura, while Mafalda was in the Chevrolet.
Dong faces five counts of felony involuntary manslaughter and a misdemeanor reckless driving charge. Each manslaughter charge carries a maximum prison time of 10 years.
According to the Associated Press, Dong, who was arrested in the hospital after the crash, had previous speeding charges. In 2024, he was convicted of driving 73 mph in a 55 mph zone, and paid $219 in fines and court costs. In March, Dong pleaded guilty to speeding in Maryland, after he was recorded driving 72 mph in a 50 mph zone.
Dong made his first court appearance last week, after which Thaddeus Furlong, Dong’s attorney, told The Washington Post that Dong felt devastated about the crash.
“He’s expressed how sorry he is about this incident many times to us, and it’s genuine remorse. He wished it had never happened,” Furlong said. “He has guilt, and he suffers from depression from coming out of that. That’s where we are right now. When I say guilt, I’m talking about his mind. I’m not talking about any legal sense.”
The charges are divided between two different courts, the Stafford District Court and the Stafford Circuit Court. Dong’s next court appearance is set for Monday, June 22, where he is expected to be arraigned and enter a plea.
While court proceedings continue, the Virginia State Police and the NTSB are continuing their individual investigations. As part of its investigation, the NTSB will look at pre-crash conditions and Dong’s actions prior to the crash, as well as Dong’s language proficiency.
In a post on X, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote that Dong had received his commercial driver’s license from New York State in 2024. According to Duffy, Dong is a naturalized U.S. citizen from China who did not speak English.
“Unacceptable. This is exactly why we are holding states accountable, enforcing the rules of the road and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English,” Duffy wrote. “If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus.”
Furlong confirmed to The Washington Post that Dong’s primary language is Mandarin.
