WASHINGTON (7News) — The bus driver in the case of a Stafford County crash was in the U.S. legally, but Friday morning’s deadly crash is one of several in recent weeks spotlighting how commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) are issued in the U.S.
On social media Friday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy identified the driver as 48-year-old Jing Dong, a naturalized U.S. citizen from China who received his CDL from New York State. Duffy said Dong does not speak English.
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“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. “If you can’t be properly trained, read our road signs, or communicate with law enforcement, you have no business driving a bus.”
Leaders in recent days have argued for creating a law that would block those in the U.S. illegally from getting a CDL, which has been pushed by Homeland Security officials. That bill, called Delilah’s Law, was named after a young girl who was killed in a crash involving an illegal immigrant driving a truck in 2024.
Recently, a House Committee on Transportation moved forward with a bill that would make it tougher to get a CDL and require English proficiency.
A pivotal case regarding this incident happened last year in Florida, where investigators said Harjjinder Singh made an illegal U-Turn that caused a crash that killed three people. Singh had received licenses from Washington State and California, though authorities argued he entered the country illegally.
Critics said Singh’s incident raised questions about reading English road signs and whether states were following federal commercial licensing standards.
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The Supreme Court declined to hear Florida’s lawsuit against both states over their licensing practices.
