A jury on Tuesday acquitted Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 26, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, for the deaths of seven motorcyclists in a 2019 head-on collision in Randolph, New Hampshire.
The collision occurred on June 21, 2019, when Zhukovskyy’s commercial truck struck the group of motorcyclists, who were reportedly part of a Marines motorcycle club. The victims, aged 42 to 62, included members from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, returning from a fundraiser.
Zhukovskyy faced multiple charges, including negligent homicide and driving under the influence, but was acquitted after a trial that began on July 26. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before reaching a verdict.
Prosecutors argued that Zhukovskyy, who had used heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine that day, swerved his truck before the collision. However, a judge dismissed charges related to impairment, and defense attorneys maintained that fellow rider Albert “Woody” Mazza, one of the deceased, caused the crash by losing control of his motorcycle.
Defense attorney Jay Duguay emphasized inconsistencies in witness accounts and criticized the prosecution’s case, asserting that the crash occurred on the center line of the road. In contrast, Prosecutor Scott Chase urged jurors to consider the chaos of the scene, claiming consistent testimony about Zhukovskyy’s erratic driving leading up to the crash.
The seven victims included Mazza, Edward and Jo-Ann Corr, Michael Ferazzi, Desma Oakes, Daniel Pereira, and Aaron Perry.