A Massachusetts woman expressed excitement for her upcoming vacation to Florida just one day before she was killed in a horrific chain-reaction crash.
Priscilla R Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, was identified over the weekend as the fifth person killed when a bus plowed into at least six vehicles on a Virginia highway in the early hours of Friday morning.
She had earlier told her friend: 'I'm very tired but thank God I'm finally taking some vacation time. I'm going to Florida,' according to the Boston Globe.
Thaiz Ramos added that Mafalda also promised to call her when she arrived.
'I am still waiting for that call, because part of me still cannot believe she is gone,' she told the newspaper.
Mafalda was heading on vacation with her husband, Igor Ernesto, when their Chevrolet Suburban was struck by a passenger bus that failed to slow for traffic near a work zone on the Interstate 59 near Quantico.
The impact forced her Suburban into an Acura carrying Dmitri Doncev, 45, his wife Ecaterina Doncev, 44, and their children, Emily Doncev, 14, and Mark Doncev, 7, all of whom were also killed.
The driver of the bus, Jing S Dong, 48, is now facing five counts of involuntary manslaughter and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving, according to WJLA.
Priscilla R Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, was identified over the weekend as the fifth person killed in a horrific crash on Interstate 95 on Friday
Mafalda was heading on vacation with her husband, Igor Ernesto, when their Chevrolet Suburban was struck by a passenger bus that failed to slow down for traffic near a work zone
Police said some 44 people were taken to hospitals, including three in critical condition, adding that there were 'approximately' 34 passengers on the bus.
Friends and co-workers described how Mafalda, who was born in Brazil, built a life in Massachusetts.
She had worked for a home-cleaning company in Worcester for years, where her boss Monique Almeida said she 'became much more than a coworker!!!'
'I will always remember her beautiful smile, her kindness and the way she made people feel comfortable and cared for,' Almeida told WHDH.
Ramos also described the 25-year-old as 'one of the kindest and hardest-working people I have ever known,' and fellow co-worker Milene Santos said, 'It was so easy to become her friend and so easy to love her.
'Losing her has been a pain I never imagined I would feel,' she told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. 'It hurts knowing we didn't have enough time to do everything we had planned together.
'She will always remain in my heart as one of the most beautiful memories of my life,' Santos continued. 'I will never forget everything she did for me, the love she gave me and the light she carried wherever she went.'
An online fundraiser was set up to return Mafalda's remains to Brazil for burial, but was paused after reaching $21,887.
The impact forced her Suburban into an Acura, killing the four family members inside
Authorities said on Friday night that 44 people were taken to hospital, including three in critical condition
'Thank you to everyone who contributed, God bless you all!' it now reads in Portuguese.
'The costs of the transfer have been covered and all funds raised from now on will be allocated to medical care, hospital costs and rehabilitation for the survivors who are hospitalized.'
Ernesto was hospitalized following the crash, according to the Globe. His condition was unclear.
'We've got patients in multiple hospitals. We've got the driver at a hospital here,' said Peyton Vogel, a Federal Transit Administration spokesman.
'I've got to say, this is one of the most tragic things I've ever seen. Absolutely tragic.'
The Stafford Fire Department called the emergency response 'a complex and labor-intensive operation that required a coordinated response from multiple agencies across the region.'
Wayne Tobin, a passenger on the bus when it crashed at around 2.35am, told local ABC affiliate, WUSA, he was on his way to his mother's funeral.
'It was horrible. It was just like blood everywhere, it was people holding their head. Their heads were bleeding,' he recalled.
Dmitri Doncev, 45, his wife Ecaterina Doncev, 44, and their children, Emily Doncev, 14, and Mark Doncev, seven, were also killed
The driver of the bus, Jing S Dong, 48, is now facing five counts of involuntary manslaughter and a misdemeanor count of reckless driving
Another passenger named Judy said she woke up to screaming and 'glass flying everywhere,' adding, 'The bus turning over, a guy broke the glass to get us all out.'
Dong, the bus driver, is a Chinese immigrant and a US citizen, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Friday night, adding that he could not speak English.
He received his commercial driver's license from New York State in 2024. Dong is from Staten Island.
'Unacceptable. This is exactly why we are holding states’ accountable, enforcing the rules of the road, and cracking down on drivers who can’t speak English,' Duffy wrote on X.
Dong had a previous traffic citation out of Maryland, where he was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
He received this on March 9 for going over the speed limit, driving at 72mph in a posted 50mph zone at around 1.20am.
Dong is now hospitalized from injuries he sustained in the crash, but will remain in police custody.
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