• Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, the truck driver who mowed down the group of bikers has a history of arrests.

• He had records of arrests in five states for substance abuse, dangerous driving and accidents.

• Seven riders were killed in the New Hampshire accident.

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, the truck driver who mowed down the group of bikers in New Hampshire, USA has a history of arrests.

A Boston Globe journalist did some digging and came up with a disturbing revelation concerning 23-year-old’s records. He had been arrested in six states before for DUI (driving under influence), dangerous driving, and accidents.

• Zukhovskyy is an immigrant from Ukraine. He was also involved in accident at 16 years old and was found to be driving without a license.
• He committed his first offence not long after obtaining his driver’s license in 2013. He was arrested and charged for DUI in June that year in Massachusetts. The judge suspended his driving license.
• Zhukovskyy was again arrested in 2014 for driving with a suspended license, providing false information and possession of drug paraphernalia, this time in Ohio. The Boston Globe journalist noted that the Ohio authorities didn’t communicate the arrest with their counterparts in Massachusetts.
• In 2017, he then sought assistance for his addiction to alcohol, cocaine and heroin in Pennsylvania.
• He obtained a commercial driving license a year later in 2018. But he didn’t stay out of trouble very long.
• Police arrested him at 2am on 11^th February 2019, following reports of an intoxicated person. They found a crack pipe. However, he was given a deferment with probation and no record as long as he behaved. The probation was due to end on 14^th June 2019.
• Just one week later, he was arrested in Iowa for improper lane usage and not complying with safety regulations. He paid the fine and went away a free man.
• On 11^th May 2019, he was arrested in Connecticut for DUI. He posted bail, while awaiting his arraignment on 26^th June. When Connecticut’s authorities communicated the charges to Massachusetts where his license was issued, the two states blamed each other for not suspending his license following the 11^th May arrest.
• Zukhovskyy’s driving record got more serious after that. On 3^rd June, he rolled over the Mack truck car hauler in Texas. He claimed that a car had swerved in front of him but the police found no signs of another vehicle. The police didn’t fine him plus, he wasn’t intoxicated at the time.
• The authorities should’ve stopped him from ever driving again at this point but no one did. So, on 24^th June, Zukhovskyy drove into a group of Jarhead MC riders in New Hampshire, killing seven. The ex-US Marines had just left their bed and breakfast.
• He has since been arrested and police found wax packets with heroin residue in his home.

But the accident also highlighted the failure of the authorities in keeping a dangerous and potentially life-threatening driver off the road. Massachusetts Registrar of Motor Vehicles (RMV) Secretary Erin Deveney took responsibility and resigned (at least she took responsibility, unlike some politicians in Malaysia).

The Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and the United States Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack promise to overhaul RMV for improvements. The US Immigration and Customs Department has also filed a request to detain Zukhovskyy, meaning that he could be deported back to the Ukraine.