Jury convicts Parsippany man in fatal Rockaway Township collision that killed Pennsylvania driver
MORRISTOWN, NJ — A Morris County jury has convicted a Parsippany-Troy Hills man of aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide after prosecutors said he drove the wrong way on Interstate 80 before crashing head-on into a pickup truck, killing its driver.
Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll announced that a jury found 46-year-old Victor Peters guilty Wednesday following a five-day trial.
The jury convicted Peters of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and second-degree vehicular homicide in connection with the Feb. 2, 2025, crash on Route 80 in Rockaway Township.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 11 before Superior Court Judge Ralph E. Amirata. Peters will remain in custody until then.
Under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, Peters must serve at least 85% of any sentence imposed before becoming eligible for parole.
According to prosecutors, the crash occurred at approximately 2:33 a.m. when Peters was driving a Mercedes SUV eastbound in the westbound lanes of Route 80.
Investigators said the Mercedes collided head-on with a 2024 Ford pickup truck traveling west.
The driver of the pickup, 31-year-old Destinn McKnight of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the truck’s only occupant.
Peters, who was alone in the Mercedes, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Morristown Medical Center.
Prosecutors said Peters exhibited signs of being under the influence at the scene, leading to criminal charges following the investigation.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit investigated the crash with assistance from the New Jersey State Police.
Key Points
- A Morris County jury found Victor Peters guilty of aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide.
- Prosecutors said Peters drove the wrong way on Route 80 before a head-on crash that killed Destinn McKnight.
- Peters remains in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11.
