The truck driver involved in an accident with seven fatalities has his driving license revoked

In May, we told you that Volodymyr Zhukovskyy was seeking to reinstate his commercial driver’s license after being acquitted of charges related to a crash that killed seven people. The New Hampshire Department of Safety has now made its decision and Zhukovskyy’s license will remain suspended for another two years.

This case happened five years ago. As we told you in our last article:

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy was a Massachusetts-licensed professional driver who collided with members of the Jarheads motorcycle club in June 2019. After the accident, Zhukovskyy admitted to police that he had consumed a cocktail of illegal drugs that morning. During the investigation into the accident, Zhukovskyy’s previous drug offenses and traffic violations came to light. This sparked a scandal that led to the resignation of the head of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles when it was revealed that there was a massive backlog of professional driver law violations in that state that were not being addressed in a timely manner; Zhukovskyy had been arrested in that state for driving under the influence just days before the accident with the Jarheads.

Zhukovskyy, who has been driving trucks in the U.S. for many years on a green card, was set to be deported to his native Ukraine after the incident. However, due to conflicts there, this did not happen. He wanted to get his license back after being acquitted of manslaughter, reckless conduct and other charges. At trial, the defense presented evidence that the accident was caused by members of the Jarheads club, suggesting both driving under the influence and crossing the center line. Although Zhukovskyy still faces legal entanglements in nearby Connecticut for other driving issues, he applied in New Hampshire to have his commercial driver’s license returned.

As it turned out, the state Department of Safety disagreed. Although Judge Ryan McFarland acknowledged Zhukovskyy’s testimony that he had been sober for five years since the accident, he said the fatal accident need not have happened because Zhukovskyy should not have been driving and the consequences would be severe. “The loss of life, particularly of seven people so dearly loved, must be weighed more highly than the inconvenience associated with losing one’s driving privileges,” he wrote in his decision.

With this decision, Zhukovsky’s suspension will now last until June 2026, seven years after the crash, the maximum period allowed by state law.