Drunken Morris Co. Driver Responsible For Fatal Wrong-Way Crash, Jury Finds

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A jury has decided the fate of a Morris County man who was involved in a drunken wrong-way crash that killed a Pennsylvania driver.

On Wednesday, a jury found Victor Peters, 46, of Parsippany guilty of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and second-degree vehicular homicide following a five-day trial.

The verdict stems from an incident in the early hours of Feb. 2, 2025, when police were called to Route 80 West in Rockaway Township on reports of a two-car crash.

Authorities learned that Peters was driving a Mercedes SUV east in the westbound lanes of I-80 when he crashed head-on into a Ford pickup truck driven by Destinn McKnight, 31, of East Stroudsburg.

Peters sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. McKnight was pronounced dead on the scene.

Authorities said that Peters was exhibiting signs of intoxication following the crash, and he was subsequently charged.

Peters is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 11. He faces several decades in prison.