NTSB report: Bus traveled half a mile through backed-up traffic in deadly Virginia I-95 crash

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. — Federal investigators have released their preliminary report on the deadly charter bus crash on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, revealing new details about the speed of the crash, the scope of the destruction and the work zone conditions at the time of the collision.

The National Transportation Safety Board released the preliminary report Thursday, nearly three weeks after the May 29 crash that killed five people and injured dozens more.

According to the report, the bus carrying a driver and 24 passengers was headed south in the center lane of I-95 when it encountered a traffic backup near mile marker 146.6, formed by lane and shoulder closures associated with a work zone.

The bus did not slow as it approached the queue, according to investigators, and collided with the rear of a Chevrolet Suburban and a Acura MDX at the end of the queue, approximately 1,000 feet north of the start of the right shoulder closure.

Google Earth; annotations and overlays by NTSB

The then bus continued south into the queue for approximately 0.44 miles — nearly half a mile — causing 8 other vehicles to become involved in the crash before coming to a stop in the median between the I-95 southbound lanes and the express lanes.

The report confirmed that one passenger in the Chevrolet and all four occupants of the Acura, which burst into flames after the crash, were killed. People in other vehicles suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious.

The speed limit along that section of I-95, including in the work zone, was 65 mph. The weather at the time was reported to be clear and dry.

The 1.6-mile work zone for an overnight pavement resurfacing project began at 9 p.m. Thursday and was scheduled to finish at 5 a.m. that Friday. The work zone included closure of the southbound center lane, right lane and right shoulder.

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The bus was, which was operated by E&P Travel Inc. of Kings Mountain, North Carolina, was traveling from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina.

The driver, 48-year-old Jing Sheng Dong, of Staten Island, New York, faces five counts of involuntary manslaughter and one misdemeanor count of reckless driving in connection with the crash. Dong made his first court appearance June 10, arriving at the Stafford County courthouse in a wheelchair.

The five people killed were all from Massachusetts. Relatives identified four of the victims as members of the Doncev family of Greenfield — Dmitri and Ecterina Doncev and their two children — who were on their way to a wedding in South Carolina. The fifth victim was identified by Virginia State Police as Priscilla R. Mafalda, 25, of Worcester.

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NTSB board member Tom Chapman said at a briefing shortly after the crash that the bus appeared to be traveling at a high rate of speed and that little, if any, braking occurred before impact.

"It seems fairly clear that if there was any braking, there wasn't much because of the speed and the severity of the collision, but too early yet to know exactly what was happening on board the vehicle," Chapman said.

The NTSB noted the preliminary report is subject to change as the investigation continues. The agency said it will determine the probable cause of the crash with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar events.

A final report is expected to take between 12 and 24 months to complete. Anyone with video footage from the crash was asked to contact the NTSB at witness@ntsb.gov.