A trucking company has reportedly closed its doors shortly after the Massachusetts Attorney General announced an investigation into the company in the wake of a crash that killed seven motorcyclists in New Hampshire.
Embattled Massachusetts trucking company Westfield Transport Inc. has closed its doors permanently in the wake of a fatal high-profile crash and the ensuing investigation, according to reports.
Local news station Western Mass News says that the were able to reach the company by phone on Tuesday but were told that the company “does not exist anymore.”
A Google search of the company’s name also indicates that Westfield Transport Inc. has permanently closed.
The closure comes shortly after Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey confirmed that her office was moving forward with a criminal investigation into the trucking company.
Seven riders in a motorcycle club comprised of active and veteran Marines were killed in a collision with a pickup truck in Randolph, N.H., Friday night. https://t.co/dJqQj6lSqC
— NPR (@NPR) June 23, 2019
The investigation is delving into a June 21 crash in which seven members of the Marine JarHeads motorcycle club were killed. The crash happened on Route 2 in the town of Randolph, New Hampshire, when a group of 10 motorcycles were hit by a pickup truck hauling a trailer that crossed over the centerline into the eastbound lane.
The driver accused of causing the crash, 23 year old Volodoymyr Zhukovskyy, was arrested at his home in West Springfield, Massachusetts, on June 24. He has since pled not guilty to seven counts of negligent homicide.
During the post-crash investigation, authorities learned that Zhukovskyy was arrested on May 11, 2019, for OUI in Connecticut and that the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles should have terminated his CDL but failed to do so.
Investigators also determined that Westfield Transport drivers are placed out of service four times more often than the average trucking company — 20.8% versus 5.5%.