Hearing on restoring Zhukovskyy's license set for May 8

CONCORD — A hearing on Volodymyr Zhukovskyy’s request to get his New Hampshire driving privileges restored is scheduled for May 8-10.

Zhukovskyy, 27, was the truck driver in the 2019 crash that took the lives of seven members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club on Route 2 in Randolph. Following a jury trial in August 2022, Zhukovskyy was acquitted of all criminal charges in connection with the crash. Last September he filed a request with the New Hampshire Department of Safety last September to lift the suspension of his driving license in this state.

“I would like to request a hearing to get my license back,” Zhukovskyy wrote.

A hearing on his request before the department’s Bureau of Hearings was originally scheduled for October 2023 but has been pushed back several times. After a pretrial conference on Feb. 27, Chief Hearing Officer Ryan McFarland ruled the hearing will get underway on May 8. He wrote that due to the complexity of the case, he was allocating three days for the parties to present evidence.

The parties also agreed discovery would be completed by March 6. Zhukovskyy’s attorney, Earle Wingate III had filed a motion for discovery, seeking all police and state expert reports as well as toxicology reports. Wingate said he needed the documents to prepare his case. State police responded that their department was not trying to withhold evidence but rather said it was taking time to transfer the reports from the Attorney-General’s office. At the prehearing, the state agreed to the March 6 deadline.

The hearing notice indicates Zhukovskyy will not attend the hearing in person but will appear remotely. Saying it had genuine concern for Zhukovskyy’s safety given the emotions surrounding the verdict, the state had requested he appear by video. Wingate had opposed the request, noting the trial was high profile and security had been provided.

Hearing Officer Christopher Casko had earlier granted the state’s request, saying he would be able to conduct the hearing in a fair and impartial manner with Zhukovskyy appearing remotely.

Zhukosvkyy, 27, of West Springfield, Mass., was charged with 15 charges of negligent homicide, manslaughter and reckless operation in the deadly June 19, 2019 crash. He was driving a truck with a flatbed trailer west on Route 2 when the truck collided with the group of Jarheads motorcyclists traveling east early on the evening of June 21, 2019.

Killed in the crash were Albert Mazza, 59, of Lee, Michael Ferazzi, 62, of Contoocook; Daniel Pereira, 58, of Riverside, Rhode Island; Jo-Ann and Edward Corr, both 58, of Lakeville, Mass.; Desma Oakes, 42, of Concord; and Aaron Perry, 45, of Farmington.

Zhukosvkyy admitted having ingested a mixture of heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl the morning of the accident but the defense argued he was not impaired at the time of the crash and only trace amounts of the drugs were found in his blood. Instead, the defense pointed to lead motorcyclist Albert Mazza who had a blood alcohol of .135 at the time, well over the level limit of .08.

Following a jury trial in Coos County Superior Court in August 2022, Zhukovskyy, was found not guilty of all criminal charges in connection with crash. He still faces a charge of driving under the influence in Connecticut that alleged occurred month before the Randolph accident.

Zhukovskyy is currently awaiting deportation to his native country Ukraine. After his acquittal, Zhukovskyy was immediately taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, citing his extensive criminal history that included three prior drug convictions, driving after suspension, furnishing false information to a law enforcement officer, and larceny. His request for asylum was denied and on Feb. 3, 2023, an immigration judge ordered him deported. Deportations to Ukraine, however, have been suspended because of the armed conflict there with Russia, which ICE officials say prevents them from safely returning individuals to the country at this time. Zhukovskyy was released from custody under an Order of Supervision issued last April. Under an Order of Supervision, immigrants are allowed to live and work in the U.S. provided the individual meets regularly with ICE representatives and agree to follow a specific set of conditions.