BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Gov. Charlie Baker has ordered an emergency review of Massachusetts drivers' licenses, he announced Friday.
All 5.2 million Massachusetts licenses are being checked against the National Driver Registry, and tougher standards for commercial licenses are in the works.
The move comes in response to a tragedy last month in which a Massachusetts commercial driver who should not have had a license allegedly killed seven motorcyclists in Randolph, New Hampshire.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23 of West Springfield, pleaded not guilty to negligent homicide in that crash and remains behind bars.
Following the crash, it was revealed that Zhukovskyy had a long and troubled driving record, including refusing a chemical test during a Connecticut OUI investigation—which should have resulted in the loss of his commercial driver's license.
Massachusetts RMV Registrar Erin Deveney resigned following the revelation that the department did not act on that information.
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles has been in catch-up mode since the flaws in its system of processing out-of-state violations were discovered.
"The lapses discovered at the registry are unacceptable, and the consequences of these lapses have had tragic outcomes," Gov. Baker said.
More than 700 Bay State drivers have had their licenses taken away over the last two weeks, and Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said new safeguards will make sure all future notices are processed in real time, "so that we can ensure the residents of Massachusetts that as soon as we hear about people, whether its from in-state violation or an out-of-state violation, we are treating them with equal urgency and taking the appropriate action.
(Photo: Mario Jarjour/WBZ NewsRadio)
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WBZ NewsRadio's Kendall Buhl (@KBuhlWBZ) reports