Acquittal in NH Marines motorcycle crash deaths
Volodomyr Zhukovskyy, accused of killing 7 Marines on their motorcycles three years ago, was acquitted. He is still under Federal retainer related to to his extensive criminal history and drug charges.
The state thought they had a solid case – witnesses who swore he was driving erratically and swerving over the road before the crash. He even admitted to having used cocaine and heroin the morning of the crash day.
When Volodymyr Zhukovskyy was arrested after the 2019 crash that killed seven people, including several ex-Marines, it appeared to be an open and closed case. Zhukovskyy admitted to using drugs, not paying attention, and, in his own words, causing the crash. (emphasis added)
“He admitted to snorting drugs before getting behind the wheel that morning,” Coos County Attorney John McCormick said.
At trial, prosecutors told the jury that heroin and cocaine in Zhukovskyy’s system proved he was impaired, and one witness after the next testified he was driving recklessly.
“It was out of the ordinary that he was doing that,” witness Anthony Plant said.bold added)
“It swerved over toward the car in front of us and we went way over toward the white line,” witness Holly Coulter said.
The defense told a different story, claiming the lead biker was DUI and caused the crash. This was supported by the expert the defense spent three years to find. Plus,
partially due to the fact that, halfway through the trial, the judge threw out the charges related to driving under the influence. Police never questioned Zhukovskyy’s sobriety at the crash scene and the judge ruled prosecutors had failed to prove he was impaired.
Translated: Zhukovskyy admitted being impaired, so no one tested him to see if he WAS impaired. Without evidence, if he recanted – no impairment. Between the hard-sought expert’s testimony, and the ruling by the judge, the defense won.
Category: None
7 die so 1 scumbag could go free and do it again.
How do defense attorneys sleep at night?
Hanging upside down from tree limbs like bats.
Usually in a coffin with a minion as a valet.
I have a bigger issue with the judges who allow the defense attorneys’ nonsense to take place.
That too, I forgot to add it to my post.
“Zhukovskyy admitted being impaired, so no one tested him to see if he WAS impaired.”
As we can see, BIG mistake, though the other evidence should have hanged him.
I was a cop in a completely different jurisdiction, but if there was a motor vehicle accident with injuries, ETOH testing was mandatory.
This is just an unbelievably fucked up result.
My advise to those defense sharks….DON’T GLOAT.
Everyone is entitled to their day in court no matter how guilty they are. This was a failure in prosecution.
Dull Tool.
https://www.conwaydailysun.com/berlin_sun/news/mccormick-touts-experience-in-run-for-county-attorney/article_de95abb0-c6a1-5a8e-aba3-950bd772ebef.html
https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news/state/state-intends-to-prove-zhukovskyy-was-a-substantial-factor-in-crash/article_3570f1ee-0deb-11ed-bb8e-6bf70d93d567.html
The quote from the article is, “When Volodymyr Zhukovskyy was arrested after the 2019 crash that killed seven people, including several former Marines…”
Former vs ‘ex’ kind of a big deal, jussayin.
May this prick’s kharma run him over, sooner the better.
A sad travesty of Justice. Gotta wonder who paid for the defense lawers and the “expert witness”. Down here any motor vehicle accident with fatalities is an automatic blood test for impairment. No exceptions. Even more so when it involves a commercial vehicle.
Justice would be served if ICE either deports his scummy ass back to the ‘kraine and he becomes Russian cannon fodder, or ICE releases him from custody at the Jarheads Club House.
Moral turpitude should good enough to send him home, won’t happen.
Oh, yeah, a little “wall-to-wall” counseling……..
Not 7 Marines.
“Police never questioned Zhukovskyy’s sobriety at the crash scene and the judge ruled (correctly) prosecutors had failed to prove he was impaired”. If this is true, this is sloppy cop work. An absolutely astounding failure. No field sobriety documentation??? The prosecutors had to know they were going to get their asses handed to them. How did a major crash like this not be properly supervised?
Observe intoxicated behavior, arrest based on observation, then test to confirm observations to establish the per se limit or have a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) evaluation conducted.
This is just bad all the way around.
That’s not how it works at a crash.
Yes, it’s how it works at crash scenes. Been there, done it and testified about how the evidence was collected. And if an operator is unconscious, there is implied consent. If there is a question, a judge can be asked for a blood draw search warrant.
Did they convince a liberal judge or a jury of morons? I didn’t see it in the story.
nevermind