A jury Tuesday acquitted a man accused of crashing into and killing seven motorcyclists, including a former Haverhill man, in 2019 on a road in Randolph, N.H.
Jurors cleared 26-year-old Volodymyr Zhukovskyy of seven counts each of manslaughter and negligent homicide and reckless conduct after his lawyers made the surprising claim former Haverhill resident and Jarheads Motorcycle Club leader Albert “Woody” Mazza Jr. was himself intoxicated.
An expert witness testified during the trial that the commercial truck driver was only slightly over the yellow line dividing the roadway, but that Mazza was already heading in the direction of the truck.
A preliminary report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board concluded three years ago came to the opposite conclusion, reporting Zhukovskyy crossed the center double yellow line and collided with the bikers going the opposite direction. Its final report said Zhukovskyy was high on fentanyl, cocaine and heroin.
The motorcyclists were riding to a charity event at the American Legion in Gorham, N.H., at the time of their deaths. The club consists of active duty or honorably discharged marines and FMF Corpsmen.
The crash triggered the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles to review and suspend hundreds of licenses and provoked Attorney General Maura Healey to review Westfield Transport, the driver’s employer.
Besides Mazza, those killed were Jo-Ann and Edward Corr, of Lakeville, N.H.; Michael Ferazzi, of Contoocook, N.H.; Daniel Pereira, of Riverside, R.I.; Desma Oakes, of Concord, N.H.; and Aaron Perry of Farmington, N.H. Two others were taken to the Androscoggin Valley Hospital and one was airlifted to Maine Medical.