Fatal Virginia Bus Crash Renews Scrutiny Over CDL Standards

The renewed attention comes after a bus plowed into vehicles near a work zone on Interstate 95 in Stafford County on May 29, killing at least five people, including children.

Rachel Acenas

Published: 5/30/2026, 10:59:57 PM EDT

Fatal Virginia Bus Crash Renews Scrutiny Over CDL Standards — The scene of a fatal accident involving a bus on Interstate 95 near Quantico, Va., on May 29, 2026. (Virginia State Police via AP)

A deadly bus crash on a Virginia interstate has reignited scrutiny over the process for how commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) are issued.

The renewed attention comes after a bus plowed into vehicles near a work zone on Interstate 95 in Stafford County on May 29, killing at least five people, including children. Local police said the bus failed to slow down and crashed into several cars.

The bus driver has since been identified as Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York.

According to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Dong was an American citizen originally from China who got his commercial driver’s license two years ago in New York and doesn’t speak English.

“Unacceptable,” Duffy wrote on X on Friday. “This is exactly why we are holding states accountable, enforcing the rules of the road, and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English. If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus.”

Dong was charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and additional charges were likely, Virginia State Police said. The prosecutor's office in Stafford County said Dong was arrested and would be in custody while he is treated for his injuries at a hospital.

Duffy said that federal investigators are reviewing the driver’s history, training documentation, and New York licensing records in wake of the deadly crash.

“Any company, trainer, or school that contributed to putting an unqualified driver on the road will face intense scrutiny," Duffy said.

Earlier this year, the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) stopped issuing CDLs after pressure from the federal government and threats to withhold nearly $74 million in federal highway funding. The Department of Transportation (DOT) had accused the state of failing to verify work authorization or legal residency status and illegally issuing the licenses to thousands of non-citizens, including unauthorized immigrants.

DOT revealed that a federal audit found that New York was a major offender in non-compliant CDL issuance, with allegations that more than half of certain CDLs were issued unlawfully. Following that audit, Duffy issued an emergency directive in September 2025 to restrict the issuance commercial driver’s licenses and permits to many immigrants.

A deadly crash on Florida's Turnpike last year prompted the push to restrict CDLs.

A commercial truck driver was arrested and charged with three counts of vehicular homicide in that case. Harjinder Singh, 35, entered the United States illegally in 2018 and later obtained a commercial driver’s license in California, according to authorities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.