Truck driver who killed 7 motorcyclists in deadly New Hampshire crash has previous record of drunk driving
A man has been charged with negligent homicide after his pickup truck fatally crashed into seven motorcyclists in a fiery collision in New Hampshire. Police records show that he has been stopped twice previously on suspicion of drunken driving.
The man, 23-year-old Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, was taken into custody from his West Springfield, Massachusetts, residence on June 24 on seven counts of negligent homicide, according to a Daily Mail report.
We had earlier reported that around 6.30 pm on Friday, June 21, Zhukovskyy was driving a black 2016 Dodge 250 pickup truck with a flatbed trailer when he crashed into a group of 10 bikers along a two-lane highway that passes through Randolph, a small town in New Hampshire.
Those who died in the crash were identified as Albert Mazza (49) of Lee, New Hampshire; Desma Oakes (42) of Concord, New Hampshire; Michael Ferazzi (62) of Contoocook; Aaron Perry (45) of Farmington, New Hampshire; Joanne and Edward Corr (both 58) of Lakeville, Massachusetts; and Daniel Pereira (58) of Riverside, Rhode Island.
According to the police, Zhukovskyy briefly appeared in court in Springfield, Massachusetts on June 24. He's scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, June 25, in Lancaster, New Hampshire. The 23-year-old was last stopped on suspicion of drunk driving on May 11, and once before in 2013.
During the May incident, Zhukovskyy was placed in handcuffs after failing a sobriety test. At the time, authorities received a complaint about a man revving his truck engine and jumping up and down outside of the vehicle.
In 2013, Zhukhovskyy was arrested on a drunken driving charge in Westfield, Massachusetts. Subsequently, his license was suspended for 210 days and he was placed on probation for a year.
Following the crash, authorities found he was not seriously injured and did not require to be taken to hospital. According to family members, Zhukovskyy has remained cooped up in his room since the accident. He's not eating or speaking to anyone, they said.
About 400 people gathered on Sunday to pay tribute to the deceased bikers in a 'Blessing of the Bikes' ceremony for motorcycle enthusiasts in New Hampshire.
According to reports, the bikers were part of New England motorcycle club Marine JarHeads — a group of Marines and their spouses. Responding officers at the scene found their bodies strewn on the grass with their bikes completely totaled and in flames.
Their identities were released on Monday, June 24, by New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, who ordered all flags on public buildings and grounds to be flown at half-mast. "Friday’s tragic accident in Randolph has struck our state and our citizens in a profound way," Sununu said in a statement. The cause of death for all victims was established as blunt force trauma, the state attorney general's office said.
Laura Cardinal, vice president of the Manchester Motorcycle Club, kept the bikers in her prayers and promised that fellow bikers will support the families of the deceased. "When they fall, we all fall," she said. "Those families, they're going to go through a lot now. They have a new world ahead of them."
Hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts paid tribute to the victims on Sunday, June 23, at the annual Blessing of the Bikes ceremony. The Rev. Rich Baillargeon blessed the bikes using a branch dipped in holy water as they rumbled by, holding a moment of silence and prayer for those who died.
According to New Hampshire State Police Col. Chris Wagner, the crash was "one of the worst tragic incidents" in the history of New Hampshire.