Remember the Kid that Killed Seven Bikers Last Summer?

[Jeff Higgins]

The one in New Hampshire, who purportedly crossed the centerline and hit a group of former Marine bikers? Well, now it appears the lead biker may have caused the wreck. Subsequent investigation has revealed that his tires were on or over the centerline when his motorcycle collided with the left front tire on the truck, resulting in a catastrophic loss of air pressure in that tire, which caused the truck to lose control and take out the rest of the pack. The truck has been determined to have been in its own lane at the time of the collision. The lead biker was looking back over his shoulder when it happened, according to witness testimony. And he was drunk, according to the autopsy.

The kid driving the truck has been in jail without bail since last June, and jury selection isn't even slated to start until this November. With these new discoveries, his attorney is now asking he be released on bail pending trial.

https://komonews.com/news/nation-world/defense-lawyer-in-death-of-7-motorcyclists-biker-at-fault

[masraum]

Wow! And I assume he's pretty unlikely to get a big payday regardless of the outcome. This certainly sounds like it deserves a payday.

[Chocaholic]

That was such a shocking story. And the pics. Was the front biker killed or still around to face the music?

[john70t]

Back in HS I was sitting in the back of a friend's Jetta, late night, open road.
A car doing at least 100mph passed us on our side of the split freeway. Just a whoosh. Our lucky day.

That truck still should have swerved over to the shoulder if there was any doubt. imo.
Stuff happens and everyone has had mistakes and near misses. Think about it later.

But sometimes the ego won't allow that.
Specific circumstances at the time will determine that.
If he could have swerved, but chose not to...?

[aigel]

How come the toxicology report of the bikers were not available earlier? You'd think the prosecution would have been less aggressive knowing that drunk people were involved.

Statistics don't look good for bike fatalities, there is a large portion due to DUI. I see people drink all the time on their group outings and then get on their bikes.

G

[DonDavis]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

The lead biker was looking back over his shoulder when it happened, according to witness testimony. And he was drunk, according to the autopsy.

Originally Posted by Chocaholic

That was such a shocking story. And the pics. Was the front biker killed or still around to face the music?

I presume autopsy always indicates death...unless something has changed.

[Chocaholic]

Ah...missed the autopsy part. So, you’re saying he’s not around?

Kidding.

[VINMAN]

https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/toxicology-report-released-as-judge-denies-bail-hearing-request-for-driver-in-randolph-crash/article_4c890952-2b11-5292-81e5-974314ea8f66.html

A truck driver charged in a Randolph crash that killed seven motorcyclists and passengers affiliated with the Jarheads Motorcycle Club had fentanyl, morphine and a chemical found in cocaine in his system that day, and told law enforcement he often would take drugs before starting work, prosecutors said in a document made public Tuesday.

In the court document, prosecutors said Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, of West Springfield, Mass., on the morning of the June 21, 2019, crash consumed two baggies of heroin and half a gram of cocaine. Prosecutors presented the information in a motion objecting to Zhukovskyy’s request for a bail hearing.

According to prosecutors, Zhukovskyy’s drug use the day of the crash was “egregious,” because he was free on bail on a prior charge of driving under the influence in Connecticut, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors made the motion in response to a request for a bail hearing for Zhukovskyy, which Judge Peter Bornstein denied on Tuesday. Zhukovskyy, jailed since the crash, awaits trial in November on multiple counts of negligent homicide and DUI. He has pleaded not guilty.

Zhukovskyy’s lawyer argued last month that an independent analysis of the crash showed one of the motorcyclists was drunk and was the one who hit Zhukovskyy’s pickup, causing the crash.

Prosecutors said only that the findings from the analysis “still demonstrate that the defendant was not operating fully within his appropriate lane of travel at the time he collided with the first motorcycle” and then hit the bikers.

Prosecutors argued Zhukovskyy is a danger to himself and others and should remain in jail. They also claimed he is a flight risk because he is a Ukrainian national.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by masraum

Wow! And I assume he's pretty unlikely to get a big payday regardless of the outcome. This certainly sounds like it deserves a payday.

Not sure which side I believe just yet.

Zhukovskyy (the truck driver) is accused of driving under the influence of a controlled drug or drugs. In August, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said that a toxicology report showed Zhukovskyy tested positive for an unspecified drug that made him incapable of driving safely.

[Zeke]

Two wrongs and a tragedy. The truck driver still bears the culpability. Maybe his charges and subsequent sentence will be mitigated. Sounds like his attorney has some leverage.

[masraum]

Ok, with the rest of the story (assuming it's all true), I'm not at all concerned about the truck driver.

[VINMAN]

The blame of the motorcyclist was the result of a secondary investigation, by a private contractor paid for and hired by the defense lawyer.....




.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Not sure which side I believe just yet.

Me neither.

Originally Posted by VINMAN

The blame of the motorcyclist was the result of a secondary investigation, by a private contractor paid for and hired by the defense lawyer......

Interestingly, part of the defense motion is based upon evidence supplied them by the state. From the article in my OP:

The report goes on to say that "the impact caused catastrophic air loss to the left front tire of the truck, which left a tire mark on the center line of the road," Duguay says in his motion. "This tire mark had initially been attributed to an 'unsuccessful avoidance maneuver' by Mr. Mazza, a position that the State has since retracted."

The motion notes the state also provided information showing that Mazza had been turned around looking back at the group of riders behind him just before the accident and that autopsy reports show that at the time of the crash, Mazza's blood-alcohol level was 0.135%, well above the legal limit of 0.08%.

The kid is clearly a miscreant little druggie who should not be driving. Did the fact that he was blasted out of his gourd cause this accident? Did that keep him from reacting quickly enough to avoid a motorcycle that had crossed the centerline? Remember, he was in some kind of a heavy truck and was pulling a trailer. I'm not sure even the most attentive driver could have gotten it out of the way quickly enough to have avoided a collision.

[legion]

Nobody's right if everybody's wrong.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by legion

Nobody's right if everybody's wrong.

This. He was stoned or drunk, but so were the bikers. He did not deliberately crash into the bikers, but they were suicidal in their actions. Keep the truck drive in jail for manslaughter.

[Gretch]

just goes to show............... nothing is EVER what it seems...........

[ckelly78z]

Drinking/riding is a sport around here in the Summer, but it is always made out like the car was at fault.

[Baz]

Perhaps a deviation from the main thread topic but.........

In my humble opinion.......traffic enforcement in our country should include better enforcement of CRAPPY driving behaviour. Such as failure to maintain lane discipline.

Point being - if a freaking driver cannot keep their vehicle (no matter how many wheels it has) under control enough to stay in it's own lane - there MIGHT BE a problem with that driver's capabilities to drive properly = safely.

I see it all the time here. Piss poor driving - never regulated.

Speed doesn't kill - piss poor drivers do.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Baz

Perhaps a deviation from the main thread topic but.........

In my humble opinion.......traffic enforcement in our country should include better enforcement of CRAPPY driving behaviour. Such as failure to maintain lane discipline.

Point being - if a freaking driver cannot keep their vehicle (no matter how many wheels it has) under control enough to stay in it's own lane - there MIGHT BE a problem with that driver's capabilities to drive properly = safely.

I see it all the time here. Piss poor driving - never regulated.

Speed doesn't kill - piss poor drivers do.

I agree. And of course every TV show has the driver on curvy roads crossing the double yellow line all the time.

[herr_oberst]

Originally Posted by Baz

I see it all the time here. Piss poor driving - never regulated.

Speed doesn't kill - piss poor drivers do.

Driver 'education' in this country is a sorry joke.