Jurors see police interview with man charged in deaths of 7 motorcyclists

LANCASTER, N.H. (WCAX) - It’s the second week of the trial for the man accused of killing seven motorcyclists in northern New Hampshire. Tuesday, jurors heard from the defendant himself about his drug use and his state of mind leading up to that fatal crash, in a video of an interview with police.

Three days after the deadly crash, Volodymyr Zhukovskyy was questioned by a New Hampshire State Police detective after being arrested in connection with the 2019 wreck.

According to court testimony, Zhukovskyy had heroin, cocaine and fentanyl in his system at the time of the crash.

During the interview, Zhukovskyy told investigators he had been using drugs since he was 18.

“I do heroin, I sniff it. I don’t shoot it. I’m not a big drug addict I wouldn’t say,” Zhukovskyy said.

Prosecutors say the truck driver was under the influence of drugs when he crossed the center line on Route 2 in Randolph, New Hampshire, into the path of the oncoming bikers.

Zhukovskyy told police he had used drugs the morning of the collision. But during the hour-and-a-half 2019 interview, he denied using any other time that day, a question he was asked multiple times. Zhukovskyy also denied being high at the time of the crash.

Detective: Were you feeling any of the effects of heroin or cocaine at that point?

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy: No. I was driving home, I was feeling OK. When the accident happened I was fine.

Zhukovskyy’s defense team says it was actually the lead motorcycle rider in the pack who caused the accident. They say an autopsy proves the club’s president was over the legal alcohol limit to drive. He was one of the seven people killed in the crash.

Zhukovskyy faces multiple charges, including seven counts of manslaughter and negligent homicide.

“I was awake,” Zhukovskyy said. “It happened so fast.”

Several friends and family members of the victims have been in court for the trial, however, they declined to comment on the case until the trial is over.

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