BAYTOWN, Texas (WHDH) — A pickup truck driver accused of colliding with a group of motorcyclists in Randolph, New Hampshire, killing seven of them, had been found with a crack pipe in the same Texas city where he had flipped an 18-wheeler earlier this year, authorities said.
Baytown, Texas police officers responding to a possible drunk person causing a disturbance in a Denny’s on Feb. 11 met with Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, 23, police told KHOU.
The officers could be heard on a body camera video asking Zhukovskyy is he had done any drugs, citing that his pupils appeared dilated and he couldn’t stand still.
One officer then searched Zhukovskyy’s pockets and pulled out what he called a crack pipe.
The Ukrainian native was immediately placed into handcuffs. KHOU reported that he was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Months later on June 3, Zhukovskyy had another run in with Baytown officers when he crashed a tractor-trailer, the Baytown Police Department told 7NEWS.
They say Zhukovskyy claimed a driver cut him off, causing him to lose control of the rig.
Investigators in Texas were unable to confirm Zhukovskyy’s story. He was not charged.
Zhukovskyy currently faces seven counts of negligent homicide in connection to a crash in Randolph, New Hampshire that killed seven motorcyclists on June 21.
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He waived his right to an arraignment Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges through his lawyer.
Zhukovskyy was ordered to remain in preventive detention.
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