WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The president of a Massachusetts trucking company is pleading guilty to federal charges related to a 2019 crash that killed seven motorcycle riders in New Hampshire.
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Dartanyan Gasanov, 35, of West Springfield, is scheduled to plead guilty to falsifying safety records in U.S. District Court in Springfield on Tuesday, The Springfield Republican reports.
Gasanov was president of Westfield Transport and his brother, Dunyadar Gasanov, was the now disbanded West Springfield company’s vice president.
The brothers were charged with altering and falsifying company records, including driver logs and other safety records leading up to the deadly crash. Both initially pleaded not guilty.
On June 21, 2019, a company pickup truck towing a flatbed trailer collided with the group of 10 motorcycles on U.S. 2 in Randolph, New Hampshire.
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The driver, Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, faces charges of negligent homicide, manslaughter, driving under the influence, and reckless conduct. The Springfield resident has pleaded not guilty.
The Springfield Republican reports Dartanyan Gasanov faces up to 16 months in prison and a $55,000 fine.
The 2019 crash also led to the resignation of the head of the Massachusetts motor vehicle division and other reforms at the state agency.
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A state probe found that the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles failed to terminate Zhukovskyy’s commercial driving license after the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles provided information about his drunken driving arrest in that state.
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