(WGGB/WSHM) - The western Mass. community mourned a Greenfield family and a 25-year-old Worcester woman killed in a chain reaction car crash early this morning in Virginia. Passengers on the bus that started the crash described it as a “death trap” and its driver reckless. We’ve learned the family was traveling from Greenfield — to a wedding in South Carolina.

Western Mass News spent the day reaching out to family friends and people in Greenfield who knew the family. They told us this loss is shocking and devastating, and say the family was well-known and loved within the community.

It all happened around 2:35 a.m. Friday morning on i‑95 south in Stafford County, Virginia. Troopers said traffic was slowing when a bus traveling from New York City to Charlotte failed to slow down in a work zone and crashed into a car, setting off a chain-reaction involving multiple vehicles. State Police said five people were killed.

Of the 5 killed, 4 were in an Acura SUV, 45-year-old Dmitri Doncev, 44-year-old Ecaterina Doncev of Greenfield and their two children a young boy and teenage girl.

A family member of the Doncev’s shared this photo with Western Mass News.

We also obtained a statement from that family member saying, in part: “The Doncev family immigrated to the United States in 2008, making Greenfield, Massachusetts their home. Through their faith, kindness, and dedication to others, they became a cherished part of their community and touched countless lives. Their absence leaves a void that can never be filled, but their memories, their love, and the countless lives they touched will remain forever in our hearts.”

Troopers said the families car caught fire after the collision. The fifth victim was a 25-year-old woman from Worcester, who was in the suburban struck by the bus. About 44 people were taken to area hospitals, including three with critical injuries.

The bus was carrying about 34 people. The driver of the bus, 48-year-old Jing S. Dong, of Staten Island, New York was also injured in the crash. Police said charges are pending as this investigation continues, including a review of the driver’s actions leading up to the crash.

Western Mass News also reached out Providence Christian Academy where the two children attended school.

They provided us with a statement reading in part: “The Doncev family was a cherished part of our school community, and their loss is being felt deeply by our students, families, faculty, and staff.”

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