Key figures plan to skip RMV oversight hearing
Three officials from the Registry of Motor Vehicles, including the former registrar who resigned after a tragic collision was caused by a trucker with unchecked driving violations, may skip out on questions from state lawmakers today in a state oversight hearing seeking answers on critical lapses at the agency.
Joint Committee on Transportation House Chairman William Straus and Senate Chairman Joseph Boncore sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack last week requesting six specific individuals be present at the oversight hearing at 10 a.m. today at the Gardner Auditorium at the State House.
On Friday, Straus told the Herald Pollack texted him that three of the requested officials said “no” in a text message just before 5 p.m. Those include former Registrar Erin Deveney, who resigned after it was revealed a trucker accused of killing seven motorcyclists last month had out-ofstate driving violations that the registry failed to process.
One of the other individuals who isn’t likely to attend is RMV Merit Rating Board Director Thomas Bowes, whose office was last responsible for processing out-of-state notifications in March 2018 once a new system was installed.
“We asked for all witnesses because we believe they are necessary and relevant to the questions that need to be answered,” Straus told the Herald. “I am therefore, not satisfied with the response from the secretary.”
The joint chairs also requested documents regarding the use or maintenance of the RMV’s digital tracking systems, monthly staffing levels since 2015 and interstate compacts or agreements which included Massachusetts in the past 10 years.
MassDOT spokeswoman Jacquelyn Goddard told the Herald Sunday that, “Since Friday, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has provided training manuals, technology system information, and other requested information covering several years of Registry administrative responsibilities.”
The hearing comes one month and one day after seven motorcyclists were killed in a crash in Randolph, N.H. Volodymyr Zhukovskyy of West Springfield was charged with killing the bikers, and it was later revealed he was driving with a commercial driver’s license despite an OUI arrest in Connecticut in May and a semi-tractor trailer accident in Texas earlier that month.