Legal expert dissects manslaughter, negligent homicide acquittal of New Hampshire truck driver

LANCASTER, N.H. (WLNE)– Volodymyr Zhukovskyy was acquitted of manslaughter and negligent homicide Tuesday, in connection to the death of seven motorcyclists in 2019.

Daniel Pereira of Riverside, Rhode Island, alongside Jo-Ann and Edward Corr of Lakeville, Massachusetts, were among the seven.

“Sometimes an accident is just an accident,” said Andrew Horwitz, Director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at Roger Williams University. “Not all accidents require criminal liability. We have designed a system where people are not criminally punished unless a unanimous jury can all come to a conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt.”

While the prosecutors argued that Zhukovskyy was under the influence and swerving across the road at the time of the incident, the defense said the incident was caused by the lead motorcyclist.

Horwitz explained while the verdict of the emotional case may seem shocking, it comes down to the basics principals of our legal system.

“Eyewitness testimony is notoriously suspect. People’s ability to perceive is not necessarily ideal, and then you deal with people’s ability to process that information, to remember it correctly, and to describe it correctly,” he said.

Horwitz concluded by saying, “When the defendant is simply driving down the highway, I think most jurors don’t have a hard time putting themselves in that person’s shoes.”

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu reacted, saying, “The fallen seven did not receive justice today, and that is an absolute tragedy.”