Early morning on May 29th, a tragic chain collision occurred on the I-95 interstate highway in Virginia, resulting in 5 deaths and 44 serious injuries. The driver of the involved bus, Jing Sheng Dong, a 48-year-old from Staten Island, New York, was discharged from the hospital on June 9th and is currently being held at Rappahannock Regional Jail. On June 10th, he appeared in court in a wheelchair.
Dong is facing five counts of involuntary manslaughter and one count of reckless driving. These charges are being handled by two different courts – two in the district court and four in the circuit court. The separation of trials is to ensure a swift resolution of the case.
During the hearing on Wednesday, the prosecution submitted evidence, including accident footage and approximately 2000 photos. Dong’s defense attorney, Thad Furlong, stated that his team needs to review all the evidence before determining the next steps.
According to Virginia authorities, the accident occurred in a construction zone where traffic was slowing down. Dong, the bus driver, collided with the stationary vehicles in front of him, setting off a chain reaction involving a total of 7 vehicles.
Federal transportation records indicate that Dong obtained his commercial bus driver’s license in New York in 2024 after training at the 7 CDL School in Virginia.
The 7 CDL School trains a significant number of Chinese truck drivers. An online account under the username @tiange999 mentioned in a post and video from September 7, 2024, that the school has trained over 1000 Chinese students, all of whom have passed the exams with the fast learners passing in a week and those without driving experience passing in about a month.
As reported by Daily Caller on October 7, 2025, the training location referred to by @tiange999 is the 7 CDL School in Manassas, Virginia.
The five deceased individuals in the tragic accident were from Massachusetts, including a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy, and a 25-year-old Priscilla R. Mafalda. Additionally, 44 individuals were hospitalized, with 3 in critical condition.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that Dong does not speak English but obtained a commercial driver’s license in New York in 2024, raising concerns about the scrutiny of commercial driver’s license approvals and English proficiency requirements.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Dong utilized a translator. However, his defense attorney, Thad Furlong, mentioned that Dong can communicate in English to some extent but prefers to use a translator to express himself more effectively in his native language.
Secretary Duffy expressed his dissatisfaction on a social media platform, saying, “This is unacceptable. This is precisely why we demand states to take responsibility, enforce road regulations strictly, and crack down on drivers lacking English proficiency.”
He added, “If you can’t handle proper training, understand road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you should not be driving a bus.”
Duffy mentioned that the Federal Transportation Department is currently conducting a comprehensive review of Dong’s process of obtaining a commercial driver’s license in New York, including his license records, training documents, and relevant background information. Any company, training institution, or trainer assisting unqualified drivers to get on the road will face severe scrutiny.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) expects to release a preliminary investigation report within 30 days of the accident.