MORRIS COUNTY — A jury has found Victor Peters, 46, of Parsippany-Troy Hills, guilty in connection with a fatal two-vehicle crash on Route 80 in Rockaway Township, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll and Chief of Detectives Robert McNally.
The jury returned its verdict on July 22 following a five-day trial. Peters was found guilty of:
- First-degree Aggravated Manslaughter
- Second-degree Vehicular Homicide
The Honorable Ralph E. Amirata, Judge of the Superior Court, presided over the trial and scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 11. Peters will remain in custody until that time. Both charges are subject to the No Early Release Act, meaning Peters will be ineligible for parole until he has served eighty-five percent of the sentence imposed.
According to the prosecutor’s office, the crash occurred at approximately 2:33 a.m. on Route 80 West in Rockaway Township, when a Mercedes sport utility vehicle driven by Peters was traveling east in the westbound lanes and struck a Ford pickup truck traveling west.
The driver of the pickup truck, Destinn McKnight, 31, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was pronounced dead at the scene. McKnight was the sole occupant of the pickup truck.
Peters sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment. He was the sole occupant of the Mercedes. Investigators said Peters exhibited signs of being under the influence at the scene, which led to the charges against him.
Prosecutor Carroll thanked the agencies that participated in the investigation, including the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the New Jersey State Police. He also recognized Assistant Prosecutor Alyssa DiSturco and Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Bennett, who tried the case.
Editor’s Note: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and/or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
