By DAMIEN FISHER, InDepthNH.org
LANCASTER – The trial of the Massachusetts truck driver who allegedly killed seven people on motorcycles in Randolph while he was driving under the influence starts Tuesday in the Coos Superior Court.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 26, is charged with 25 separate felonies, including negligent homicide, negligent homicide-DUI, reckless manslaughter, DUI aggravated collision with serious injury, and reckless conduct with a deadly weapon.
On Monday, jurors seated in the case went to the site of the 2019 Randolph crash where Zhukovskyy allegedly hit and killed Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook, Albert Mazza, 59, of Lee, Desma Oakes, 42, of Concord, Aaron Perry, 45, of Farmington, Daniel Pereira, 58, of Riverside, Rhode Island, Jo-Ann and Edward Corr, both 58 of Lakeville, Mass. Members of the jury also went to the car dealership in Gorham where Zhukovskyy was headed on the day of the fatal crash.
According to the criminal complaints, Zhukovskyy negligently caused the deaths by operating a 2016 Dodge 2500 pickup truck and attached trailer on Route 2 westbound erratically and across the double yellow centerline causing a collision with motorcycles in the eastbound lane in Randolph.
The motorcycle riders were all members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club. Five of the crash victims were Marine veterans.
Erin Deveney resigned as the head of the Mass. Registry of Motor Vehicles when it came to light that her agency failed to do its job and that Zhukovskyy should not have had a license on the day of the crash.
Zhukovskyy has a history of operating under the influence charges, as well as drug possession charges. A month before the crash, he was stopped and arrested in Connecticut for operating under the influence.
During that stop, Zhukovskyy refused a blood test, which under the law should have triggered an automatic suspension of his license. Instead, Massachusetts told Connecticut they did not provide enough information and the suspension of his license was held up pending a review by Massachusetts officials.
That review did not happen before the fatal crash. In fact, he continued to drive and get in trouble while that review was pending. In early June, he was involved in a crash in Texas where officials say he flipped his Mack truck, that was hauling a trailer with cars on an interstate.
Zhukovskyy worked for Massachusetts trucking company Westfield Transport. The company ended up paying out $1 million to the families of the crash victims before it went out of business.
The witness list for the trial includes more than 100 people, and the trial is expected to take at least two weeks. Opening arguments are set to begin Tuesday at 9 a.m.