Bus plows into 6 vehicles near work zone on Virginia highway, killing 5 people and injuring dozens

At least five people were killed and dozens injured in a crash in Virginia overnight when a bus plowed into several vehicles near a work zone on Interstate 95, according to the Virginia State Police.

The accident took place at about 2:35 a.m. in Stafford County when the bus “failed to slow for traffic” and crashed into six vehicles, state police said. All five deaths came in vehicles struck by the bus.

In addition to the deaths, 34 people were taken to the hospital, including three people in critical condition, police said.

Nineteen patients were taken to Mary Washington Hospital in nearby Fredericksburg, five of whom have been discharged and two who remain in critical condition, according to Mary Washington Healthcare. Twelve patients were taken to Stafford Hospital, all of whom have since been discharged.

“I’ve got to say, this is one of the most tragic things I’ve ever seen,” Peyton Vogel, a Federal Transit Administration spokesperson who was on the scene, told the Associated Press. “Absolutely tragic.”  

The National Transportation Safety Board said in a social media post Friday that it was sending a “go-team” to conduct a safety investigation into the crash.  

The investigation into the crash is ongoing, police said, but they did say charges were pending. It was unclear who was to be charged.

An initial investigation showed traffic was slowing in the southbound lane as cars approached a work zone when the bus failed to slow for traffic, Virginia State Police said. The National Transportation Safety Board said it is sending a team to conduct an investigation into the crash as well.

Since then, a Virginia State Police spokesperson confirmed two additional crashes in the vicinity of the original crash location, CBS affiliate WUSA-TV reported.