The driver of a tour bus involved in a fatal, multivehicle crash on Interstate 95 on May 29 has expressed that he’s sorry for his role and wishes the incident never happened, his attorney said Wednesday.
“Emotionally, he is devastated,” lawyer Thad Furlong said of Jing S. Dong.
Dong, 48, of Staten Island, N.Y., appeared in two Stafford County courts for the first time since the wreck on southbound I-95 that resulted in the deaths of five people and injuries to more than 40 others.
He faces five felony counts of involuntary manslaughter — one for each death — and a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving.
Dong was in Stafford General District Court first Wednesday morning, where an additional hearing was set for Aug. 28. He was brought into the courtroom in a wheelchair a day after being released from Mary Washington Hospital, where he was being treated for injuries after the crash.
A few minutes later, he was taken to Circuit Court, where an arraignment was set for June 22. Dong was assisted in both appearances by a Mandarin interpreter as he speaks limited English, a factor that has been mentioned as possibly relevant to the crash. Even U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has commented on that.
Stafford Commonwealth’s Attorney Eric Olsen said outside of Circuit Court that eventually all of the charges against Dong will be heard there.
Olsen mentioned in court that evidence in the case includes video footage as well as 2,000 photographs.
The National Transportation Safety Board has been investigating the wreck in addition to the Virginia State Police.
The investigations have indicated that on the day of the incident, traffic was slowing for an upcoming work zone, and that the bus, operated by E&P Travel and heading from New York City to Charlotte, N.C., failed to slow down and struck a Chevrolet Suburban. The Suburban was then forced into an Acura SUV as well as into additional vehicles.
The bus, which was carrying about 34 occupants, struck additional cars as well.
Four of those who died in the incident were identified as Greenfield, Mass., residents Dmitri Doncev, 45, Ecaterina Doncev, 44, and their children Emily and Mark. They were in the Acura.
The fifth victim, Priscilla R. Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Mass., was in the Suburban that was struck by the bus.
After his client’s time in court Wednesday, Furlong said Dong has difficulty walking and some residual effects from a concussion after undergoing multiple surgeries.
“He is in very much pain,” Furlong told reporters gathered outside the Stafford courthouse.
The lawyer also said it’s so early in the process that he hasn’t had any discussions with Olsen about a plea deal.
The defense team is still gathering its own information about what caused last month’s ordeal, too, Furlong said.
“That is the big question of the hour,” he said.
