Virginia: Chinese-Born Bus Driver Causes Multi-Vehicle Pileup, Killing Five

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA - The death toll caused by non-English speaking commercial drivers increased by five this past week when a passenger bus smashed into slowing traffic on I-95 in Virginia, causing a multi-vehicle pileup in which one of the vehicles erupted in flames. Forty-four others were injured, The New York Post reports.

Jing S. Dong, a Chinese national who obtained U.S. citizenship, was driving southbound on the major north-south highway near Quantico, Virginia just after 2:30 a.m. on May 29. The bus struck a Chevy Suburban, spurring a multi-car crash involving at least six vehicles, law enforcement sources said.

“The preliminary investigation indicates that traffic was slowing southbound for an upcoming work zone,” Virginia State Police said. “A bus failed to slow for traffic and struck six vehicles.”

The crash killed one of the occupants of the Suburban, and a family of four from Greenfield, Massachusetts was killed when that vehicle then slammed into their Acura, which burst into flames. Killed were Dmitri Doncev, 45, Ecaternia, his wife, 44, and their two children, Emily, 13, and Mark, 7. All were pronounced dead at the scene.

“With broken hearts, we share the devastating loss of our beloved brother and his family in the tragic accident on South I-95 in Virginia early this morning,” Iuri Concev, Dmitri’s brother, wrote in a Facebook post.

According to a GoFundMe posted by a family friend, they came to the United States in 2008 and were en route to South Carolina for a family wedding when they were killed, the friend wrote.

Providence Christian Academy, where the Doncev children attended school, confirmed the deaths in a statement.

“Providence Christian Academy is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of the Doncev family, following a motor vehicle accident [crash] on Interstate 95. The Doncev family was a cherished part of our school community, and their loss is being felt deeply by our students, faculty, and staff,” the school wrote.

The fundraiser noted that Dmitri was a registered nurse in the mental health unit at Holyoke Medical Center in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Despite not being able to speak English, Dong, 48, received a commercial driver’s license issued by the State of New York in 2024, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

“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 on X, accusing New York State officials’ policies of causing the crash.

Duffy said the administration is reviewing New York licensing records, training documentation, and the driver’s history as part of the federal investigation into the crash.

“Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny,” Duffy promised.

Of those injured, 44 were hospitalized, including Dong. Three were listed in critical condition. It is unknown if all passengers aboard the bus, which slid down an embankment, were hospitalized.

Once the investigation of the crash is complete, it is expected that Dong will face multiple criminal charges.