A New York City bus driver who reportedly could not speak English is now charged after a Virginia highway horror that killed five Americans and exposed shocking failures in basic licensing and enforcement standards.
Story Snapshot
- Virginia crash killed five and injured dozens when a New York–based tour bus failed to slow for traffic in an Interstate 95 work zone.
- Transportation officials say the driver, a naturalized citizen originally from China, does not speak English despite holding a commercial license from New York.[1][3][4]
- Federal law and a Trump-era executive order require commercial drivers to be proficient in English and allow removal from service if they are not.[1][3]
- Trump’s Transportation Department is reviewing New York licensing and training records, promising intense scrutiny for anyone who put an unqualified driver on the road.[1][3]
What Happened On Interstate 95 In Virginia
Virginia State Police say the deadly crash unfolded in the early morning hours on Interstate 95 south in Stafford County, where traffic was slowing for a work zone when a southbound tour bus failed to reduce speed.[1][2][4] The E&P Travel bus, traveling from New York City toward North Carolina, slammed into vehicles backed up near the construction area, triggering a chain reaction involving at least six cars.[1][2][4] Five people were killed and dozens injured, including multiple children and entire families whose vehicles were struck and in one case caught fire.[1][2][4][5]
Officials report that four of the victims were members of a Massachusetts family traveling together in an Acura sport utility vehicle that burst into flames after being hit, while a fifth victim was a young woman in another vehicle caught in the pileup.[4] Emergency responders transported more than thirty people to area hospitals, with several in critical condition, underscoring the scale of the tragedy and the speed at which the bus appears to have entered the slowed traffic.[1][2][4][5] Investigators quickly turned their attention to the driver’s actions and qualifications.
The Driver, His License, And The English Requirement
Authorities identified the driver as forty-eight-year-old Jing S. Dong, a Staten Island resident and naturalized United States citizen originally from China, who was also injured in the crash.[1][4][5] Federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that Dong does not speak English, even though he received his commercial driver’s license from New York in 2024.[1][3][4] Federal law requires that commercial drivers be able to speak and read English well enough to be properly trained, understand road signs, and communicate with law enforcement for safety reasons.[1][3]
Secretary Duffy called the situation “unacceptable” and emphasized that drivers who cannot read signs or communicate in English “have no business driving a bus.”[1][3][4] He announced that the Department of Transportation is reviewing New York licensing records, training documentation, and the driver’s history to determine how someone reportedly lacking English proficiency obtained a commercial license.[1][3] Duffy also warned that any company, school, or trainer that helped place an unqualified driver behind the wheel of a passenger bus would face intense federal scrutiny.[1][3]
Trump-Era Rules And The Fight Over Enforcement
Coverage of the crash notes that during President Donald Trump’s current term, the administration issued an executive order reinforcing English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers and directing that drivers who could not speak English be removed from service.[1] In February, Secretary Duffy further announced that all truck and bus drivers seeking commercial licenses would be required to take their licensing tests in English, closing loopholes that allowed testing in other languages.[3] These moves reflected a broader Trump policy push for common-sense road safety, national standards, and accountability from states that issue licenses.
The Virginia crash is now testing how seriously states have complied with those standards and whether bureaucrats in places like New York cut corners under pressure from diversity and workforce quotas.[1][3][4] Federal investigators are examining whether New York properly verified Dong’s language skills and training before granting his commercial license in 2024, and whether the carrier, E&P Travel, fulfilled its duty to ensure the driver met federal requirements before operating a long-distance passenger route.[1][3][4] Early statements from Duffy signal a willingness to hold state agencies and private companies accountable if they ignored Trump-era enforcement directives.
Cause Of The Crash: Mechanics Versus Qualifications
News reports and official briefings describe a clear mechanical sequence: southbound traffic slowed for a construction zone, and the bus simply did not slow down, striking multiple vehicles at highway speed.[1][2][4] The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating factors such as speed, driver fatigue, vehicle condition, and carrier compliance to determine why the bus failed to respond to the work zone.[2][4][5] State police have indicated that charges against the driver are pending as investigators reconstruct the final moments before impact.[2][5]
🚨5 Dead, 34 Injured in Virginia Bus Crash.
The identify of the bus driver has not yet been released. Law enforcement has stated that "Charges are Pending". pic.twitter.com/90zxcFS5L6
— American Truckers United (@atutruckers) May 29, 2026
At the same time, public discussion has zeroed in on Dong’s reported inability to speak English and whether that should have disqualified him long before he reached that work zone.[1][3][4] While investigators have not yet issued a formal finding that language alone caused the crash, the case highlights the difference between immediate crash mechanics—failing to slow—and deeper qualification failures that allowed an allegedly non-English-speaking driver to be entrusted with dozens of passengers on a busy interstate.[1][2][3][4] For many Americans, the Virginia tragedy reinforces why basic standards like English proficiency, honest licensing, and serious enforcement are non-negotiable when lives are at stake.
Sources:
[1] Web – Duffy Now Vowing Action After Non-English Speaking Driver’s Deadly VA …
[2] Web – 5 killed, dozens injured when bus plows into several vehicles near …
[3] Web – Sean Duffy calls Virginia bus crash driver’s lack of English …
[4] YouTube – Fire department spokesperson answers questions about bus crash …
[5] YouTube – Virginia bus crash: NTSB investigating, bus driver could face charges
