Massachusetts abruptly suspends inquiry into DMV

BOSTON — Massachusetts lawmakers opened and then abruptly suspended their inquiry Monday into troubles at the state motor vehicle department that were exposed by a crash that killed seven motorcyclists.

The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation voted to recess just minutes into its oversight hearing after Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration didn’t make some state officials available for testimony, citing its own ongoing investigation.

Democratic state Rep. William Straus, the committee’s co-chair, said the panel would reconvene the hearing only when the administration provided more information and the witnesses it sought.

“We owe it under the horrible circumstances of this case to find out information and get the witnesses,” he said.

The hearing was prompted by a June 21 crash that killed members or supporters of the Jarheads, a New England motorcycle club that includes Marines and their spouses.

Connecticut officials twice alerted Massachusetts about a drunken driving arrest against Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, but the registry failed to suspend the West Springfield man’s license before the deadly crash in Randolph, New Hampshire.

Massachusetts officials later revealed the registry had been storing notifications of serious out-of-state driving violations since March 2018 instead of acting on them.

Baker’s administration has said an ongoing review has led to some 1,600 drivers having their licenses suspended. The governor has also proposed legislation raising the state’s standards for commercial driver’s licenses above federal standards.

Zhukovskyy, 23, has pleaded not guilty to negligent homicide and remains behind bars.