Friends mourn Worcester woman killed in bus crash
Toni CaushiWORCESTER – The Worcester woman killed May 29 in a multi-vehicle crash in Virginia is being mourned as "a young woman with many dreams and plans for the future," by those who knew her.
Priscilla R. Mafalda, 25, was described as "sweet, kind and hardworking" in a statement to the Telegram & Gazette by a the owner of a cleaning company where she worked.
"(Mafalda) had a heart bigger than words can describe," Monique Almeida wrote. "In the year she worked with us, 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."
Mafalda was killed after a 34-passenger bus struck her car on Interstate 95 in Virginia in a crash that also claimed the lives of four family members from Greenfield who were traveling in a separate car.
A GoFundMe post by a family friend listed the victims as Dmitri Doncev, 45, Ecaterina Doncev, 44, Emily Doncev, 14, and Mark Doncev, 7.
The driver of the bus, Jing S. Dong, 48, of New York City, survived the crash with injuries and has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, with additional charges pending.
Virginia State police said a preliminary investigation shows the bus, an E&P Travel bus headed from New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina, “failed to slow for traffic” and struck a Chevrolet Suburban that Mafalda was driving.
About 44 people were taken to area hospitals, three with critical injuries.
At the time of the crash, Mafalda was travelling with her husband, according to a GoFundMe made by a close family friend.
Her husband suffered serious injuries in the crash and has been hospitalized, the fundraiser says in Portuguese.
As of June 1 at noon, donations rose up to more than $22,000 to cover the costs of returning Mafalda's body to her city of birth, as well as well as the hospital expenses for the husband, the post says.
Mafalda was originally from Brazil.
"It was so easy to become her friend, and so easy to love her," said a coworker's statement shared with the Telegram & Gazette by Almeida.
"Losing her has been a pain I never imagined I would feel," continued Milene Santos's statement. "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. I will never forget everything she did for me, the love she gave me and the light she carried wherever she went."