UMVA has learned that a tragic multi‑vehicle collision on I‑95 claimed five lives, including two children, after a motorcoach failed to slow for stopped traffic early Friday morning.
The driver, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from China, does not speak English and had obtained his commercial driver’s license in New York only months earlier.
Witnesses say the coach barreled into a stationary Suburban, propelling it into an Acura SUV that erupted in flames.
Four of the victims perished inside the burning Acura: a 45‑year‑old man, a 44‑year‑old woman, a 13‑year‑old girl and a 7‑year‑old boy, all residents of Greenfield, Massachusetts.
The fifth fatality, a 25‑year‑old woman, was found in the Suburban.
More than forty passengers were rushed to nearby hospitals, with three individuals listed in critical condition.
According to information obtained by UMVA, federal investigators and the National Transportation Safety Board are on the scene, scrutinizing the driver’s licensing records, training documentation, and the companies involved in his certification.
Authorities emphasize that a lack of English proficiency and inadequate training raise serious safety concerns for commercial drivers.
Family members and community leaders are mourning the loss, while officials vow rigorous accountability for any party that allowed an unqualified driver onto the road.
