Bus crash on I-95 in Virginia kills five, injures 44

At least five people were killed and 44 others were injured when a bus plowed into several vehicles near a work zone on Interstate 95 in Stafford County, Virginia, early Friday, according to the Virginia State Police.

The crash happened about 2:35 a.m. ET. The bus, operated by E&P Travel, was traveling from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina. Police said the bus failed to slow for traffic and struck six vehicles. It first hit a Chevrolet Suburban, which then struck an Acura SUV and other cars.

Four people in the Acura died, along with one person in the Suburban. The Acura caught fire after the collision. The four victims in the Acura were identified as a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy. CBS News Boston reported they were a family from Greenfield, Massachusetts, on their way to a wedding in South Carolina. They were named as Dmitri Doncev, his wife Ecterina, their daughter Emily and son Mark.

The family of the Doncevs said in a statement to CBS News Boston that words could not express the pain felt by relatives, friends and others who knew them. The victim in the Suburban was identified as a 25-year-old woman from Worcester, Massachusetts. Her name was not released.

The bus driver, 48-year-old Jing S. Dong of Staten Island, New York, was also injured. State police said charges are pending against Dong and that investigators are examining his actions before the crash.

Seven adults were taken to Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg, Virginia, including one in critical condition and two in serious condition. One patient was treated and released. Another 12 patients taken to Stafford Hospital were treated and released.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a team to investigate the crash. Peyton Vogel, a Federal Transit Administration spokesperson at the scene, told The Associated Press that it was one of the most tragic things he had seen.

An initial investigation showed traffic was slowing in the southbound lane as vehicles approached the work zone when the bus failed to slow.