Bus Driver in I-95 Disaster Couldn't Speak English and Had Prior Run-In with Police: Report
A bus driver, who’s currently facing criminal charges for his involvement in a major crash on I-95 last week, reportedly refused to take an English Language Proficiency test following the wreck that killed five people.
Political commentator Emily Jashinsky posted information about the driver, Jing Dong, on social media Tuesday night, highlighting his inability to speak English.
“New tonight: An official source tells me Jing Dong, the driver of the bus that smashed into these cars, causing five deaths, refused an English Language Proficiency test after the crash,” she wrote on X.
“Virginia State Troopers who arrived at the scene agreed Dong could not speak English. ‘Immediately I understood that he couldn’t speak English,’ said the first officer who got to him, according to this official source,” Jashinsky added.
“Passengers on his bus corroborated that Dong appeared to have very poor English,” she concluded. “The DOT subpoenaed New York state for records on Dong’s CDL today. The source says, ‘NY has been less than helpful.’”
New tonight: An official source tells me Jing Dong, the driver of the bus that smashed into these cars, causing five deaths, refused an English Language Proficiency test after the crash.
Virginia State Troopers who arrived at the scene agreed Dong could not speak English.… https://t.co/rxFwug47Yb
— Emily Jashinsky (@emilyjashinsky) June 2, 2026
The multi-vehicle accident occurred Friday on Interstate 95 in Virginia around 2:35 a.m.
“The preliminary investigation indicates that traffic was slowing southbound for an upcoming work zone,” a Virginia State Police representative said.
“A bus failed to slow for traffic and struck six vehicles,” the representative added. “There are five fatalities in the vehicles struck by the bus.”
A bus crash this morning on I-95 in Virginia, has left 5 people dead and 34 injured. The bus failed to slow down in a work zone and slammed into several vehicles.
Officials confirmed that the driver survived the impact and criminal charges are pending. They are withholding the… pic.twitter.com/b6YMXTSDtI
— SULLY (@SULLY10X) May 29, 2026
Some 34 patients were transported to area hospitals, with three of them suffering critical injuries.
Dong, 48, is now facing felony charges of involuntary manslaughter and a misdemeanor charge for reckless driving, according to CBS News.
Each felony count carries up to 10 years in prison.
President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have made it a top priority to withhold federal funding from states like California for issuing licenses to truckers who can’t speak English.
In late 2025, Duffy said California would lose over $40 million if it did not comply with the federal English Language Proficiency standards.
Back in January, the department’s official website stated that “50 percent of North Carolina Trucking Licensees for Foreigners Were Issued Illegally,” adding that the state would lose nearly $50 million in federal dollars if it fails to revoke said licenses.
“North Carolina’s failure to follow the rules isn’t just shameful — it’s dangerous,” Duffy said. “I’m calling on state leadership to immediately remove these dangerous drivers from our roads and clean up their system.”
“President Trump and I are committed to keeping you and your family safe on our roads,” he explained.
One month later, Duffy announced that all truckers must take their commercial license exams in English.
States had been offering tests in other languages, leaving questions about how proficient drivers can be on the road if they cannot comprehend a written exam in English.
Duffy called out third-party companies hired to administer such tests as well, accusing them of not enforcing basic standards.
“And the third party tester is participating in the scam because they are not adequately testing the people who went through a sham school,” he declared.
PBS reported back in April that Duffy has also decided to withhold more than $73.5 million in federal money from New York, after an audit discovered that the state has refused to revoke almost 33,000 questionable commercial driver’s licenses.
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