CONCORD, New Hampshire — Witness accounts of a June crash that killed seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire say the driver of a truck veered into the opposite lane of traffic at least twice before colliding with the oncoming bikers, according to a court document released Tuesday.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy was driving erratically on westbound Route 2 on June 21, the witnesses told police. A man driving behind him said he remembered “dust being kicked up” when the truck and attached trailer went over the shoulder before the driver corrected the action. A short time later, the truck and trailer crossed over the yellow line twice and eventually “plowed” into the eastbound motorcyclists in Randolph, the man and other drivers said.
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Zhukovskyy, 23, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, has pleaded not guilty to negligent homicide in the crash.
The seven who died were members of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, a New England group that includes Marines and their spouses.
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The document noted that Zhukovskyy was interviewed by police about 3 ½ hours after the crash. He told them he diverted his attention from the road and reached down to get something.
A report released earlier this year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said Zhukovskyy said he had reached for a drink. It also said that he had tested positive for an unspecified drug that made him incapable of driving safely.