Gov. Baker Says He Didn't Know Of Registry Backlog Before Deadly Crash

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BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says he wasn't made aware of problems the Registry of Motor Vehicles had with processing out-of-state notifications until after last month's deadly motorcycle crash in New Hampshire.

Registry officials testified at a legislative oversight hearing on Tuesday that they had known for years that tens of thousands of unprocessed, out-of-state notices involving infractions by Massachusetts drivers were piling up in boxes.

Baker told reporters Wednesday that he only learned of the backlog several days after the seven motorcyclists were killed, when it was revealed the registry had failed to act on information that the Massachusetts truck driver involved in the crash was arrested weeks earlier on a drunken driving charge in Connecticut.

Baker ordered an independent audit of the registry after the crash.