MORRISTOWN, NJ — A former Parsippany-Troy Hills man will spend 16 years in state prison for driving the wrong way on Route 80 and crashing head-on into a pickup truck, killing its 31-year-old driver.
Superior Court Judge Ralph E. Amirata sentenced Victor Peters, 46, on Friday, Sept. 11, following his convictions for first-degree aggravated manslaughter and second-degree vehicular homicide.
Wrong-way crash killed Pennsylvania man
The crash happened at approximately 2:33 a.m. Feb. 2, 2025, on Route 80 West in Rockaway Township.
Investigators determined that Peters was driving a Mercedes SUV east in the highway’s westbound lanes when he struck a westbound 2024 Ford pickup truck.
The pickup’s driver, Destinn McKnight of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, died at the scene. He was alone in the truck.
Peters, the only occupant of the Mercedes, suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Emergency crews transported him to Morristown Medical Center.
Authorities said Peters showed signs of being under the influence at the scene. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office initially charged Peters following an investigation by its Major Crimes Unit and the New Jersey State Police.
Jury returned two guilty verdicts
A Morris County jury convicted Peters on both counts July 22 after a five-day trial. Shore News Network previously reported on the guilty verdict in the fatal wrong-way Route 80 crash.
Assistant prosecutors Alyssa DiSturco and Alexander Bennett tried the case.
The sentence falls under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act. The state law requires defendants convicted of designated violent crimes, including aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide, to serve 85% of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole.
For Peters, that amounts to approximately 13 years and seven months behind bars before possible parole eligibility.
The case is part of continuing Shore News Network coverage of New Jersey crime and Morris County.