Jun. 19—CONCORD — After tearful pleas from loved ones and victims of a 2019 crash in Randolph that claimed seven lives, the driver of the truck that collided with the group of motorcyclists offered condolences on Wednesday but accepted no blame.

“I want to issue my deepest condolences to the victims and their loved ones that were hurt by this horrific accident,” Volodymyr Zhukovskyy said remotely by video during a hearing to establish when he might have his driving privileges restored.

A jury in Coos County Superior Court deliberated for less than three hours in August 2022 before finding the Massachusetts truck driver not guilty of seven counts of manslaughter, seven counts of negligent homicide and one count of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.

Wednesday’s hearing was to address how long his privileges will remain suspended.(A decision is likely in the next 15 days.) Last month, a chief hearings examiner agreed with state officials that Zhukovskyy’s unlawful and reckless operation contributed to a deadly 2019 crash on Route 2 in Randolph.

The state has sought the maximum seven-year suspension, beginning from when the chief hearings examiner makes his decision. Zhukovskyy’s attorney wants that seven years backdated to suspension of Zhukovskyy’s driving privileges in June 2019 and the other two years held in abeyance.

Any decision won’t immediately restore Zhukovskyy’s right to drive in New Hampshire because his Massachusetts license remains suspended.

“The home state won’t clear a resident’s license suspension until out-of-state suspensions are clear,” his attorney, Earle Wingate III, said after the hearing.

Killed in the crash were Al “Woody” Mazza; Danny “Danny Boy” Pereira; Ed “Taz” Corr and his wife, Jo-Ann Corr; Michael “Fritz” Ferazzi; Aaron “Stitches” Perry and his girlfriend, Desma Oickle.

At Wednesday’s hearing, two days before the fifth anniversary of the crash, Zhukovskyy said he has been clean and sober for five years. “I live a good healthy lifestyle,” he said.

Several of the riders injured or those who lost loved ones left the hearing room while Zhukovskyy spoke briefly.

Marylou Welch, Mazza’s common law wife, stayed to listen.

“He was saying how his life had changed … and not saying how it affected everyone’s life here,” Welch said afterward.

Crash survivor David Bark didn’t stay to hear what Zhukovskyy said..

“It’s too late. He had so much opportunity to show remorse,” Bark said afterward.

Bark said he will spend the crash anniversary at work as a nurse and will “stay away from the news.”

Aftermath of the crash

During the 70-minute hearing, a crash survivor Dawn Brindley tearfully recounted the scene from June 21, 2019.

“I remember seeing bodies on fire and pieces of my friends scattered on the road,” she said.

“The carnage that you caused that day will never leave my memories,” she said. “You destroyed many lives that day and forever scarred me.”

Brindley said her life the past five years has been a roller coaster, with episodes of PTSD and anxiety attacks.

“I have not been able to be the person I used to be that day,” she said.

“You’re a liar and don’t deserve to operate any type of vehicle in my state of New Hampshire,” she said. “You don’t deserve to be walking around free while families and loved ones that fell victim that day share the heartbreak and horrific memories knowing that you got away with killing seven people.”

Zhukovskyy shouldn’t have been on the road, according to authorities.

“The driver of the truck was impaired by several drugs, and at the time of the crash had a suspended license in Connecticut, which was entered into an electronic system that alerts other states and should have led the Massachusetts RMV to revoke his license,” according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

“However, due to deficiencies in out-of-state driver’s license notification processing, the RMV failed to process the suspension notification,” the NTSB said.

Zhukovskyy admitted to authorities that he had two bags of heroin and some cocaine the morning of the accident. He also admitted that he had previously flipped his truck in Texas.

“He is a danger to everyone on the road, including the seven people that died that day,” said crash survivor Manuel Ribeiro.

“Not only did seven people die that day,” Ribeiro told Zhukovskyy, “but you left a wake of people behind that you’ve damaged other than me.”

Zhukovskyy, Ribeiro said, “has no business being on the road.”