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EXCLUSIVE
Fallout persists after New Hampshire crash as RMV backlog is
addressed
Audrey Russo, Morgyn Joubert
Updated 11 hrs ago | Posted on Sep 30, 2019
WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Several months since seven motorcyclists were killed by
a West Springfield man in New Hampshire, and another lawsuit has been filed on behalf of one of the
victims.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy was behind the wheel of a truck and trailer back in June at the time of the
June crash, on a Massachusetts license that should have been suspended due to an alcohol charge
he received in Connecticut weeks earlier.
There's criticism against Westfield Transport, the local company that hired Zhukovskyy, who had a
troubled driving history.
A failure to communicate out-of-state driving violations at the Registry of Motor Vehicles is blamed for
Zhukovskyy's legal ability to drive the day Albert Mazza Jr., known as Woody, was killed along with six
other motorcyclists.
Western Mass News has obtained a copy of the lawsuit filed by Mazza's partner Mary Lou Welch,
against Zhukovskyy's employer Westfield Transport.
Welch recalls driving separately from the motorcycle group that day in Randolph, and hearing an
explosion.
The documents state Welch ran to the scene, saying:
"They were restraining me because I kept trying to get to Woody. I just didn’t want him to be alone..."
Welch said Mazza died before she could reach him and say goodbye. The documents state others at
the scene attempting to console her, Welch reporting:
"... kept saying over and over it will be okay. But it wasn’t and it won’t ever be again.”
The lawsuit charges Westfield Transport with Trespasser on Highway, Negligent Infliction of Emotional
Distress, and Negligent Hiring.
Western Mass News called Westfield Transport for a response and they replied no comment.
In the meantime, the RMV is continuing to address their backlog of out-of-state notifications.
Of the more than 5,000 licenses that have been suspended since the June crash, 3,391 came from
the backlog and new infractions, and another 1,891 came from the cross check of the National Driver
Register.
One of those suspensions belonged to Michael Ciaburri.
"Due to an infraction I had back in 1989 in North Carolina," Ciaburri explained. "I regret the OUI back
then, I've had a clean —-I’ve never been in trouble other than that."
The Pittsfield man showed Western Mass News court paperwork documenting his reinstatement
papers issued from North Carolina, after his OUI case was resolved.
"I paid my fee and got a reinstatement paper," Ciaburri said. "And then, when I came back to
Massachusetts, I had a reinstatement paper in ‘91 and got my license in ‘91 and I’ve had my license
ever since."
But two months ago, Ciaburri received a suspension notice, citing his North Carolina offense.
After several calls to each state's DMV, and his state representative, Ciaburri says he discovered
North Carolina never removed his name from the National Driver Register due to a typo.
"It was a clerical error and they removed me from this national registry," Ciaburri said.
However, he says the process took two months before the RMV would reinstate his license.
"There’s no direction for resolution," Ciaburri said. "I had to scramble and make phone calls and ask
for favors. Basically the insurance company said they could hold on until--- we were hoping this issue
would be resolved. Otherwise, I was going to have an uninsured vehicle."
Ciaburri's license was reinstated within the last week, but feels the difficulty in communicating with
the motor vehicle departments of two states made the process unnecessarily laborious.
"I don’t feel it was handled very professionally at all," Ciaburri said.
The RMV tells Western Mass News drivers are provided with numbers on how to contact their out-ofstate motor vehicle departments for help with past infractions.
Western Mass News also reached out to the DMV in North Carolina for comment.
Copyright 2019 Western Mass News (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
Audrey Russo
Morgyn Joubert