Police identify driver in Virginia bus crash that killed 5 and injured dozens

Five people have died and nearly three dozen have been injured after a bus in the US state of Virginia struck six vehicles, police say.

Friday's early morning crash occurred on the southbound side of Interstate 95 as traffic slowed for a work zone, Virginia State Police said.

At least 44 people were taken to hospital, with three in critical condition. The five who died were in vehicles hit by the bus, which was operated by E&P Travel and heading to North Carolina from New York.

Police are still investigating the multi-vehicle crash. Their early investigation indicates that the bus "failed to slow for traffic" and struck the six vehicles ahead of the work zone.

The driver of the bus has been identified as Jing S Dong, 48, of Staten Island, New York. Dong also suffered injuries in the crash.

Charges are pending, police said in a Friday afternoon update. State police also said they are looking into the bus driver's actions prior to the crash.

Police said the fatal crash occurred at about 02:35 local time (07:35 BST) on Friday at the 146-mile marker in Stafford County. Southbound lanes were closed for seven hours after the crash while traffic was detoured.

The roadway has since fully reopened, Virginia State Police spokesman Matthew Demlein told the BBC.

About 34 people were aboard the bus at the time of the collision, police said.

The bus struck a Chevrolet Suburban, which was then forced into an Acura SUV, as well as additional vehicles, police said.

Four people riding in the Acura, which caught fire after the collision, died.

Police identified them as a 45-year-old male, a 44-year-old female, a 13-year-old female, and a seven-year-old male from Greenfield, Massachusetts.

The fifth victim who died was aboard the Suburban and was identified by police as a 25-year-old female from Worcester, Massachusetts.

Police have not yet released their names.

In images provided by Virginia State Police, the damaged bus was seen lying in a grassy area alongside the motorway.

The BBC's US media partner CBS News reported that 19 people were taken to Mary Washington Hospital in nearby Fredericksburg. Five of them have been discharged and two remain in critical condition.

Twelve patients were taken to Stafford Hospital and have since been discharged, CBS reported.

A police spokesperson told a local affiliate that there have been two additional crashes in the vicinity of the original crash location.

Demlein declined to comment on that report.