WORCESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - Friends and co-workers of 25-year-old Priscilla Mafalda are honoring the memory of their friend, who they say was headed to Florida for vacation when she was killed in a chain-reaction crash in Virginia that left four other Massachusetts residents dead and dozens injured.
Investigators say a bus traveling from New York City to Charlotte failed to slow down as it approached a work zone early Friday morning and struck several other vehicles, sending dozens of people to the hospital.
In Worcester, friends are mourning Mafalda, who was born in Brazil but built her life in Massachusetts.
Monique Almeida employed Mafalda at her cleaning company.
She 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.”
Another coworker wrote, “She leaves behind wonderful memories, an example of kindness, dedication, and love, and a lasting impact on all of us who were blessed to know her.”
The crash also killed a family of four from Greenfield who were traveling to a wedding in South Carolina.
Police identified them as Dmitri and Ecaterina Doncev and their children, Emily and Mark.
Nearly 50 other people were taken to hospitals, including Mafalda’s husband.
According to a GoFundMe, he sustained serious injuries and is still recovering in the hospital.
The bus driver has been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
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