Westfield Transport owners indicted
Driver allegedly killed 7 motorcyclists in NH
Two owners of Westfield Transport Inc., were charged in federal court in Springfield for allegedly falsifying driving logs, instructing others to do so and making a false statement to investigators after a 2019 crash involving one its vehicles caused the deaths of seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling.
Dunyadar “Damien” Gasanov, 36, of West Springfield is wanted by police after he was indicted on one count each of falsification of records, conspiracy to falsify records and making a false statement to a federal investigator.
Dartanayan Gasanov, 35, also of West Springfield, was indicted on one count of falsification of records. He was arrested Friday morning, and Magistrate Judge Katherine A. Robertson released him on the conditions that he surrender his passport, remain in his current Massachusetts residence, not work as a commercial driver; have no contact with former Westfield Transport employees and report to pretrial services as directed.
The defendants owned Westfield Transport Inc., a for-hire interstate motor carrier that transported vehicles primarily in the Northeast. From May 3, 2019, to June 23, 2019, the defendants allegedly falsified driving logs in order to evade federal safety regulations, according to the indictment.
Dunyadar Gasanov also is accused of telling at least one employee to falsify records and then made a false statement to a federal inspector about the alleged manipulation of recording devices that track drivers’ on- and off-duty hours in order to evade regulations, the indictment said.
The charges are the result of an investigation into the company after one of its truckers was accused of killing seven motorcyclists on June 21, 2019, in New Hampshire while he was reportedly high on drugs and reaching for a drink at the time of the deadly crash, according to a report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The report, obtained through a public records request from the Herald, said that Volodymyr Zhukovskyy tested positive for an unspecified drug that made him “incapable of safe operation” when his pickup truck and trailer crashed into the bikers.
The report also states that Zhukovskyy “claimed to have been reaching for a beverage on the passenger side of the vehicle” just before he crossed over the double solid yellow lines. The report did not state what type of beverage Zhukovskyy reached for.
Zhukovskyy, 23, of West Springfield, was employed with Westfield Transport Inc. at the time of the accident and has pleaded not guilty to negligent homicide charges in the crash.