Bus company in deadly I-95 crash had similar collision in 2024, report shows

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. — The bus company involved in a devastating crash on Interstate 95 in Stafford County last week received a "satisfactory" safety rating from the federal government just weeks before the crash. However, according to records reviewed by CBS 6, it wasn't the first time the company was involved in an interstate collision.

Investigators said Jing Dong, the driver of an E&P Travel Inc. motorcoach, slammed the bus into slow and stopped traffic near a work zone on I-95 on Friday around 2:30 a.m.

Five people died, and dozens more were injured. Dong is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge in each death.

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“It seems fairly clear that if there was any braking, there wasn’t much because of the speed and severity of the collision, but too early yet to know exactly what was happening on board the vehicle," said Tom Chapman, with the National Transportation Safety Board, in a weekend press conference about the crash.

In April 2026, E&P cleared a regulatory compliance review by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with no issues noted, according to online safety records.

But a North Carolina DMV crash report from August 2024 details a collision involving an E&P bus on Interstate 85 in Lexington, NC with similar circumstances.

According to the report, the bus, not driven by Dong in this instance, failed to slow down for a traffic control safety vehicle that was performing a moving lane closure. The bus rear-ended the vehicle. Nine people were injured.

Federal records also show one E&P driver was cited for violations that rendered him or her out of service during an inspection that occurred in the past 24 months. CBS 6 has not yet confirmed the specific details of the inspection.

Ed Jazlowiecki, an attorney who represents plaintiffs in mass transportation accidents, said his research showed E&P is a smaller company with 11 drivers and four vehicles. According to federal records, the company operates out of an apartment building in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.

He said federal records showed the company carries insurance coverage of $5 million, which is the required regulatory minimum. He believes that amount is insufficient for a crash of this magnitude.

“What are you going to do with a $5 million policy? You're stuck. It's horrible. It's horrible. People don't know this when they get on a bus," Jazlowiecki said. "It does not look good for the people that are injured, nor the estates of the people that died.”

Jazlowiecki said he believes government oversight of bus safety falls short in ensuring strong protections. He encourages passengers to do their own research of the companies they're traveling with and speak with the driver ahead of the trip to ask questions or raise concerns.

"People don't know when they get on a bus or a plane or any kind of transportation, a common carrier, they're putting their life in somebody else's hands," he said.

CBS 6 reached out to FMCSA for comment for this story, but we have not heard back. In a statement to CBS News, the agency said safety ratings only take the past 365 days into account. This means the 2024 crash would not have been factored into E&P's current safety rating.

CBS 6 also requested comment from E&P, but we did not hear back.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.

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