CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The state Senate on Thursday gave preliminary approval to legislation that would allow New Hampshire’s participation in a state-to-state driver information program, following the fatal crash of seven motorcyclists last year in a collision with a pickup truck.
New Hampshire would be able to share electronic information with other states regarding driver suspensions and revocations.
“This gets away from the paper notifications that were the heart of the problem,” Elizabeth Bielecki, director of Division of Motor Vehicles, said at a Senate Transportation Committee hearing last month. “This will be a more efficient, complete, accurate and timely exchange of information.”
The measure also would allow the state to participate in a national driver license data verification program.
The truck driver in the Randolph crash, Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, of West Springfield, Massachusetts, pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of negligent homicide.
Before the crash, Connecticut officials twice alerted Massachusetts about a drunken driving arrest against Zhukovskyy, but Massachusetts failed to act to suspend his license.
A New Hampshire DMV review led authorities to catch up on notifications that dated back to July 2016. The backlog was blamed on the lack of automation.
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