Massachusetts RMV Chief Resigns Over NH Crash Revelations

The head of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles resigned in the wake of revelations about the driving record of the man involved in a New Hampshire crash that killed seven motorcyclists Friday. Registrar Erin Deveney 's resignation was accepted by Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack Tuesday. MassDOT Chief Operating Officer James Tesler will take over as acting registrar.

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, of West Springfield, Mass., pleaded not guilty Tuesday to seven charges of negligent homicide after prosecutors said he drove into a group of motorcyclists on a New Hampshire highway in the White Mountains. Zhukovskyy, according to reports, has a lengthy driving record that includes a drunken driving charge in Connecticut in May. Zhukovskyy refused a chemical test, which triggers an automatic termination of a Class A license. In this case, his license remained valid.

"The loss of life in any motor vehicle crash is a terrible tragedy and the massive toll this crash is taking on the families of the seven individuals who lost their lives, many of who, served this country, is impossible to comprehend," Pollack said in a statement. "The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles has a responsibility to enforce the laws governing safe operations of motor vehicles and carries out its mission to the best of its abilities. But in this case, the RMV had not acted on information provided by the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles about a May 11 incident that should have triggered the termination of this individual's driver's license."

Pollack said Tesler will lead a review of the RMV's state-to-state data sharing processes to ensure information is shared as quickly as possible. MassDOT claimed Connecticut officials were almost three weeks late in reporting the incident, and when they did it did not contain the sufficient information to trigger the suspension of Zhukovsky's license, The Boston Globe reported. But it did trigger a notification requiring manual review, which as of June 23, had not been done.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a detainer on Zhukovskyy should he ever be released, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader. Zhukovskyy on Tuesday was held at the Coos County House of Corrections in West Stewartson. The detainer requests officials not free Zhukovskyy, a native of the Ukraine, since he could be deported based on previous criminal activity.

Zhukovskyy had two more run-ins with police earlier this year.

Earlier this month, Zhukovskyy was driving a tractor-trailer in Baytown, Texas, on Interstate 10 when he rolled the truck. According to police, he claimed that a vehicle cut him off and he swerved to avoid a crash. But police were unable to locate the vehicle.

And in February, police said officers found Zhukovskyy outside of a Denny's in Baytown at 2 a.m., reportedly acting as if he was intoxicated and jumping up and down. He was patted down and police said they found a crack pipe on him.

These were the seven motorcyclists killed in Friday's crash:

• Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook, New Hampshire
• Desma Oakes, 42, of Concord, N.H.
• Albert Mazza, 59, of Lee, N.H.
• Aaron Perry, 45, of Farmington, N.H.
• Joanne and Edward Corr, 58, of Lakeville, Mass.
• Daniel Pereira, 58, of Riverside, Rhode Island

They were members of the JarHeads Semper Fi Motorcycle Club and were in the area attending a reunion. The group is comprised of Marine veterans.

Previous Patch Coverage:

• Driver In NH Crash Has Record, Drunken Driving Arrest
• Driver In NH Crash That Killed 7 Pleads 'Not Guilty'
• Driver Arrested After Killing 7 Motorcyclists In NH: AG
• Names Of 7 New Hampshire Motorcycle Crash Victims Released
• Bikers Mourn Seven Riders Killed In NH Accident
• NH Motorcycle Crash Victims Were JarHeads Marine Bikers
• Federal Agency Will Investigate Deadly New Hampshire Crash
• 7 Killed In 'Devastating' NH Motorcycle Crash