UMVA has learned that the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued a subpoena to the State of New York over its refusal to cooperate with a federal investigation into a deadly bus crash that killed five people in Virginia.
The subpoena comes after a horrific crash in Stafford County, Virginia, on Friday morning, which left multiple people dead and injured. The bus driver, Jing Shen Dong, has been accused of causing the crash, raising serious questions about how he obtained and maintained his commercial driver's license.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Dong is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in China and does not speak English. He received his commercial driver's license through the State of New York in 2024, sparking concerns about the state's licensing practices.
The crash claimed the lives of five people, including a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl, and a 7-year-old boy from Greenfield, Massachusetts, and a 25-year-old woman. Forty-four people were taken to hospitals, including three with critical injuries.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that federal officials are demanding answers from New York authorities, who allegedly failed to provide records related to Dong's license. The Department of Transportation says investigators attempted to obtain critical documents through normal channels but were repeatedly met with resistance from New York authorities.
The subpoena demands that New York turn over all records related to Dong's commercial driver's license, his entry-level driver training, and the driving school he attended. Those records must be produced by Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, or the state may face penalties and additional legal consequences.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the Department of Transportation is seeking to uncover potential lapses in oversight and licensing practices that may have contributed to the tragic crash. The investigation has raised questions about the Biden-era policies that have come under scrutiny for lax oversight and questionable licensing practices.
