Five people were killed and nearly three dozen others injured after a passenger bus crashed into six vehicles on the southbound side of Interstate 95 in Virginia early Friday, according to state police.
As per BBC report, the collision occurred as traffic slowed near a work zone, with all five fatalities occurring in vehicles struck by the bus.
The bus, operated by E&P Travel, was travelling from New York to North Carolina with around 34 passengers on board. Authorities identified the driver as 48-year-old Jing S. Dong of Staten Island, New York, who was also injured in the crash.
According to the Associated Press, Dong has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and police said additional charges could follow.
Investigation Underway
Preliminary findings indicate the bus failed to slow down as it approached backed-up traffic near the work zone, Virginia State Police said. Investigators believe the bus first struck a Chevrolet Suburban, which was then pushed into an Acura SUV and several other vehicles.
National Transportation Safety Board board member Tom Chapman said the bus appeared to have been travelling at a high rate of speed before the collision. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Victims Identified
Authorities identified four of the victims as members of a Massachusetts family who were travelling to attend a wedding. They included a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy from Greenfield, Massachusetts.
The fifth victim was a 25-year-old woman from Worcester, Massachusetts, who was also travelling in the Chevrolet Suburban involved in the crash.
Roughly 44 people were sent to area hospitals after the collision, three with critical injuries, BBC reported.
