A 25-year-old Worcester woman was among five Massachusetts residents killed Friday morning in a multi-vehicle crash involving a passenger bus on Interstate 95 in Virginia, according to Virginia State Police.
The crash occurred around 2:35 a.m. on the southbound side of I-95 in Stafford County, near Quantico, as traffic slowed for an upcoming work zone.
Virginia State Police said a bus operated by E&P Travel and traveling from New York City to Charlotte, N.C., failed to slow for traffic and struck a Chevrolet Suburban. The Suburban was then forced into an Acura SUV and additional vehicles, while the bus also struck other vehicles.
The Worcester woman was riding in the Suburban and died in the crash. Authorities have not publicly released her name.
Four other victims — a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, all from Greenfield — were traveling in the Acura, which caught fire after the collision, state police said.
The crash left dozens of others injured.
State police said approximately 44 people were transported to area hospitals, including three patients with critical injuries. The bus was carrying approximately 34 occupants at the time of the crash.
The bus driver, identified by police as Jing S. Dong, 48, of Staten Island, N.Y., suffered injuries. Authorities said charges are pending.
The crash remains under investigation. State police said investigators are also examining the bus driver’s actions prior to the collision.
The crash shut down southbound Interstate 95 for several hours Friday and caused significant traffic delays along one of the East Coast’s busiest travel corridors.
Greenfield Mayor Virginia Desorgher issued a statement mourning the loss of the four Greenfield residents.
“To the families, friends, and neighbors of those we lost: there are no words that can fully ease the weight of this sudden and unimaginable grief,” Desorgher said in a statement reported by WCVB. “Please know that you are not walking through this dark time alone.”
Virginia State Police said additional information will be released as the investigation continues.
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