After learning the Registry of Motor Vehicles knew about a backlog of unprocessed, out-of-state notices involving infractions by Massachusetts drivers, some lawmakers are calling on a manager of the agency to step down.
A worker at the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles accessed the driving record of the man who allegedly caused a crash that killed 7 people in New Hampshire in the weeks prior to the accident but quickly closed the file, according to a newly released audit.
After being notified May 29 by the Department of Motor Vehicles in Connecticut about Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, the preliminary audit report released Friday showed the RMV worker spent only seven seconds on Zhukovskyy's file before closing it. The worker took no action to revoke Zhukovskyy's license, which could have prevented the deadly June 21 crash in Randolph, New Hampshire.
Officials in Connecticut had notified the RMV that the 19-year-old Massachusetts man had refused a chemical breath test and that his license should have been suspended.
On June 21, seven members of a New England motorcycle club were killed when a truck driven by Zhukovskyy which was pulling a car hauler crashed into the group. Zhukovskyy been charged with seven counts of negligent homicide and is awaiting trial after pleading not guilty.
In addition to what the audit report found on Zhukovskyy, it showed that the RMV stopped processing notifications in 2014 on Bay State drivers who committed traffic violations in other states.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation hired Grant Thornton LLP to conduct the audit report.
