Top Mass. registry official fired after fatal NH motorcycle accident

The director of the state agency that stopped processing alerts from other states about Massachusetts drivers who had broken traffic laws has been fired.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles' Merit Rating Board voted Tuesday to fire Thomas Bowes. Troubles at the RMV were exposed after a June crash that killed seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire.

The registry had been storing notifications of out-of-state violations since March 2018 instead of acting on them.

The Boston Globe reported acting Registrar of Motor Vehicles Jamey Tesler, who serves as chair of the Merit Rating Board, said the agency needs new leadership.

Bowes didn't comment after the vote. His attorney, Leonard Kesten, suggested he was being scapegoated for wider problems.

Erin Deveney, the former registrar, resigned days after the crash.

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