Bus driver in I-95 crash that killed five ‘doesn’t speak English,’ U.S. Transportation Secretary says

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said that a motor coach driver involved in a multiple-fatality crash in Virginia on Friday lacked English language proficiency

The crash occurred at 2:35 a.m. on Friday, May 29, 2026, in Stafford County, Virginia.

Officials said that a motor coach driven by Jing Dong, 48, failed to slow for traffic in a work zone on southbound I-95 at mile marker 146 and struck six vehicles.

Five people, including two children, were killed in the crash. All five of the deceased were inside vehicles struck by the bus.

Forty-four other people were transported to hospitals for treatment of various injuries. Dong was injured in the crash.

Duffy issued an update on the investigation into the fatal crash.

Update on the tragic bus crash in Virginia:

Five people are dead, including a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, after the driver of a motorcoach slammed into stopped traffic on I-95. @FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs and our investigators are on the ground at the crash… pic.twitter.com/NWPBd9aLPr

— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) May 29, 2026

Duffy said that local police confirmed that Dong, who is originally from China but became a U.S. citizen, “doesn’t speak English.”

Duffy also revealed that Dong received his commercial driver’s license (CDL) from New York State in 2024.

“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. If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus,” Duffy said.

Duffy said that Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Derek Barrs is on the scene assisting with the investigation alongside the National Transportation Safety Board.

Duffy promised to review New York licensing records, training documentation, and the Dong’s driving history. “Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny,” he said.