The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a subpoena to New York State after officials refused to cooperate with federal investigators examining commercial driver Jing S. Dong’s records following a deadly Virginia bus crash that killed five people and injured dozens.
Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in the chain-reaction collision on Interstate 95 near Washington, D.C., on Friday night. The accident involved at least eight vehicles, leaving four of the five fatalities—three children and one adult—in a burning Acura SUV, while the fifth victim, Priscilla R. Mafalda, was in a Chevrolet Suburban.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated federal investigators are reviewing Dong’s commercial driver’s license and training records to determine if he met safety qualifications. “Local police confirm the driver of this motorcoach—a man from China who became a U.S. citizen—does not speak English. He received his commercial drivers license from New York State in 2024,” Duffy wrote on social media, adding, “If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus.”
The subpoena follows allegations that New York’s refusal to provide records obstructs the investigation into how Dong, who reportedly lacks English proficiency, obtained a commercial license. Commentator Eric Daugherty characterized the move as direct pressure on Governor Kathy Hochul’s administration over alleged cooperation barriers. Federal officials have warned New York must comply with the subpoena to ensure victims’ families and all road users receive answers about this critical safety lapse.
