A commercial truck driver, Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, who was previously acquitted of causing the deaths of seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire, testified at a hearing to reinstate his suspended license. The collision occurred in Randolph in 2019 and resulted in the deaths of members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club. Zhukovskyy had his Massachusetts license automatically suspended in New Hampshire after his arrest following the crash. Zhukovskyy testified that he initially believed he caused the accident based on his interviews with police at the time.
Prosecutors argued during the administrative hearing that Zhukovskyy had taken heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine the day of the crash and repeatedly swerved back and forth before the collision. However, Zhukovskyy’s trial lawyers argued that there was no evidence of impairment at the time of the crash and that the lead biker involved was drunk and not looking where he was going, leading to the collision. Restoration of Zhukovskyy’s license would depend on whether he drove in an unlawful and reckless manner that materially contributed to the accident, according to state law.
One former Jarheads member injured in the crash spoke out against restoring Zhukovskyy’s license, expressing concerns about his potential return to driving. The manslaughter acquittal of Zhukovskyy following the crash drew criticism from Governor Chris Sununu and Attorney General John Formella, who believed justice was not served for the bikers who lost their lives. Despite the outcome of the trial, Zhukovskyy’s future with regards to driving remains uncertain pending the decision on the reinstatement of his license.
During the hearing, expert reports were referenced that contradicted Zhukovskyy’s account of the event, indicating that he did not see the motorcycle in advance based on the position of his tires at the time of impact. The attorney for the state Department of Safety questioned Zhukovskyy extensively about his drug use and previous driving history, including a drunken driving charge in Connecticut prior to the Randolph crash. Connecticut officials had alerted the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles about the charge, but Zhukovskyy’s license was not suspended due to a backlog of out-of-state notifications about driving offenses.
After the 2022 verdict, Zhukovskyy was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement due to previous convictions of drug possession, driving with a suspended license, furnishing false information, and larceny. His immigration attorney requested asylum for him, but a judge ordered his deportation in February 2023. However, uncertainty remains about how he could be sent to a country at war with Russia, given the current situation in Ukraine. The U.S. has paused repatriation flights to Ukraine and authorized Temporary Protected Status for qualified Ukrainians, adding complexity to Zhukovskyy’s case.
