Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 95F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 77F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.

LANCASTER -- Following testimony from a survivor of the June 2019 collision that claimed the lives of seven motorcyclists, the prosecution on Wednesday morning rested its case against the Massachusetts truck driver it says was under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash and was responsible for the deaths.

The State’s announcement in Coos County Superior Court seemingly caught both Judge Peter Bornstein and defense attorneys Jay Duguay and Steve Mirkin by surprise, with Bornstein then recessing the trial of Volodymyr Zhukovskyy until 9 a.m. Thursday.

The state, which had been expected to present its case into Thursday, ended around 11 a.m. Wednesday by calling Josh Morin to the witness stand.

Walking with the assistance of forearm crutches, Morin, who said he is a trauma-trained registered nurse from Dalton, Mass., recalled how he had been riding toward the head of a group of members and supporters of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club at the time of the collision on U.S. Route 2 in Randolph.

The state has said at trial that Zhukovskyy, 27, of West Springfield, had snorted heroin – or a mix of heroin and fentanyl -- as well as cocaine at his home on June 21, 2019 before going to work as a driver for a vehicle-transport company.

The defense contends that Al Mazza, the Jarheads president, was drunk at the time and responsible for the crash because he struck Zhukovskyy's vehicle first and caused him to lose control.

LANCASTER — A judge has dismissed the negligent homicide-DUI charges against truck driver Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, saying the evidence was insuff…

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