Posted on 06/25/2019 6:30:07 AM PDT by woodbutcher1963
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. The driver of a pickup truck that collided Friday night with a group of motorcyclists, killing seven people and injuring three others, has returned to New Hampshire to face negligent homicide charges.
Volodoymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, faced a judge Monday afternoon in Massachusetts and waived his extradition to New Hampshire. He is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Coos County Superior Court in Lancaster, New Hampshire.
Prosecutors said Zhukovskyy was driving a 2016 Dodge pickup truck that crashed into a group of motorcyclists on Route 2 in Randolph. Seven people were killed, and three more were hurt.
Zhukovskyy was arrested at his home in Massachusetts on a fugitive from justice charge that was dismissed Monday afternoon after he agreed to extradition to New Hampshire.
"This is a tragedy," defense attorney Donald Frank said. "This is a real tragedy for all of those families. I read the newspaper accounts. I don't know anything more about it than that, but he is still innocent until proven guilty. I hope that everyone respects that."
Local, state and federal agencies are investigating the crash. Coos County Attorney John McCormick said there was enough evidence to bring charges against Zhukovskyy.
"We looked at the evidence carefully," McCormick said. "State troopers and investigators have been working around the clock for the last three days since Friday when this even unfolded, and we had probable cause and we made an arrest."
Prosecutors have not released the evidence that led to the charges and have filed a motion to seal the probable cause affidavit, saying the investigation is ongoing.
All seven of those killed were on motorcycles, and they were all members or supporters of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, which is made up of Marine veterans.
The victims were identified as: 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, Massachusetts
Two of the people who were injured were later released from the hospital, and the third, 45-year-old Joshua Morin of Dalton, Massachusetts, is at Maine Medical Center. Morin is listed in stable condition.
>> Link: GoFundMe page to support victims' families
News 9 has learned that Zhukovskyy appeared in a Springfield courtroom in April 2012 on charges of unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, negligent operation of a motor vehicle and speeding. The three charges were dismissed.
He also made an appearance in court in 2017 on two drug charges. He pleaded guilty and paid a fine.
Last month, he was arrested in Connecticut and charged with operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and drugs. According to The Associated Press, Zhukovskyy was charged in 2013 with drunken driving in Westfield, Massachusetts.
Resignation should be accepted the way Vader accepts them.
Vodka?
Vodka ?
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Oh man. Lookin' worse & worse for this kid.
I certainly don’t disagree with that statement, I hope you didn’t get that from my post.
That said, do I feel sadness at his life being ruined by his own actions? Sure I do. But it doesn’t mean his sentence should be any less.
If every one of the family members of the deceased went up and said they didn’t want the person to have an extended sentence, I would be fine with that, but, as the old saying goes, forgiveness is not mine to give there.
Our immigration system is broken. He is from Liz Warren’s state and should have been escorted out of the country for breaking the laws multiple times. I’ll bet she is not asked to comment on this at the debate.
Crack
Now THAT’S news...
By the way, did you think I was being sympathetic to him? You seemed to imply as much, not sure why.
I wasn’t sympathetic to HIM. I was sympathetic to the concept of a young person ruining their life. Doesn’t mean I am sticking up for him.
Not really.
It’s probably more that I have NO sympathy or mercy for him.
None.
Ok...just wanted to be clear. Thanks.
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