Five people were killed and 44 were taken to hospitals after a passenger bus struck six vehicles on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, Virginia, according to authorities.

The collision occurred at about 2:35 a.m. on May 29, 2026, the historical event date, in the southbound lanes near Quantico. Virginia State Police said their preliminary investigation found that traffic had been slowing for an approaching work zone when the bus failed to reduce speed and hit the vehicles. Three of those transported to hospitals were reported in critical condition. [Source 13064]

All five people who died had been traveling in vehicles struck by the bus. Four were occupants of an Acura SUV that caught fire following the collision: a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, all from Greenfield, Massachusetts. Police did not initially release their names. Providence Christian Academy later identified them as Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their children, Emily and Mark, and said the family had been a valued part of its community. [Source 13064]

The fifth person killed was a 25-year-old woman from Worcester, Massachusetts, who had been in a Chevrolet Suburban. Police said the bus first struck the Suburban, forcing it into the Acura, before other vehicles became involved. [Sources 13064, 13065]

Authorities identified the bus driver as Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York. Dong was injured and taken to a hospital. Police said charges were pending and that investigators were examining his actions before the crash. No final cause had been determined. [Sources 13064, 13065]

Approximately 34 passengers were aboard the bus, which was traveling from New York to North Carolina and was operated by E&P Travel Inc., a company based in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. Federal motor-carrier records cited by The Associated Press listed the operator as having four vehicles, 11 drivers and a satisfactory safety rating. The records showed one injury crash involving the company’s vehicles during the preceding two years. [Source 13064]

Mary Washington Healthcare received 19 patients. Seven were taken to its trauma center in Fredericksburg, while 12 were treated at its Stafford hospital and subsequently discharged in good condition. The healthcare system said three trauma-center patients remained under treatment, including two in critical condition and one in serious condition. [Source 13064]

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was dispatching an investigative team to examine the crash. Southbound Interstate 95 was closed as emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene. The lanes reopened later that day, although traffic remained backed up for several miles. [Sources 13064, 13065]