A commercial truck driver, Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, was acquitted of causing the deaths of seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire in a collision in 2019. Zhukovskyy had his Massachusetts license suspended following the crash, during which he admitted to believing he caused the accident due to being under extreme pressure. However, his attorneys argued that he was not impaired at the time of the crash and that the lead biker involved had been drunk and lost control of his motorcycle, sliding in front of Zhukovskyy’s truck. Prosecutors contended that Zhukovskyy was under the influence of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine.
During a recent administrative hearing, Zhukovskyy testified for four hours via video as part of his request to reinstate his suspended license. The decision was left to hearings officer Ryan McFarland, who must determine whether Zhukovskyy drove recklessly and unlawfully in a manner that contributed materially to the accident. One former member of the motorcycle club involved in the crash spoke out against restoring Zhukovskyy’s license, expressing concerns about the safety of allowing him to drive again. The jury’s 2022 acquittal of Zhukovskyy led to criticism from state officials and questions about the lack of justice for the victims of the crash.
Attorney General John Formella believed that the state had proven its case against Zhukovskyy, despite the jury’s decision to acquit him of manslaughter and negligent homicide charges. The crash in 2019 resulted in the deaths of seven members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, including the lead biker who was found to have been intoxicated at the time of the collision. Zhukovskyy’s suspension of his Massachusetts license stemmed from his involvement in the crash and the subsequent charges brought against him.
Following his acquittal, Zhukovskyy faced deportation hearings due to his legal status as a permanent resident in the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained him after the verdict and cited previous convictions for drug possession, driving with a suspended license, furnishing false information, and larceny. In February 2023, a judge ordered Zhukovskyy’s deportation, raising questions about the challenges of sending him back to a country at war with Russia, given the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and disruptions to repatriation flights and legal status issues for Ukrainians seeking asylum in the U.S.
The hearing in which Zhukovskyy testified via video focused on his role in the accident, his drug use at the time of the crash, and questions about his driving conduct leading up to the collision. Officials raised concerns about a previous arrest for drunken driving in Connecticut, which should have resulted in a suspension of his license at the time. The case brought attention to issues of license suspension, notification of out-of-state driving offenses, and the potential risks of allowing individuals with multiple driving violations to operate commercial vehicles.
Despite the complexities of the case, including questions about Zhukovskyy’s criminal history, drug use, and driving conduct, the decision to reinstate his suspended license remains pending following the administrative hearing. The arguments presented by both the defense and state attorneys highlighted contrasting views of Zhukovskyy’s role in the crash and the factors that contributed to the tragic incident in 2019. The outcome of the license reinstatement decision will have implications for Zhukovskyy’s future driving privileges, legal status, and immigration proceedings in the United States.