ROCKAWAY TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — A Parsippany man has been convicted in connection with a fatal wrong-way crash on Interstate 80 in Rockaway Township that claimed the life of a Pennsylvania man in February 2025, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll announced.
A Morris County jury on July 22 found Victor Peters, 46, guilty of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and second-degree vehicular homicide following a five-day trial.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 11 before Superior Court Judge Ralph E. Amirata. Peters will remain in custody until sentencing. Both convictions are subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, requiring him to serve 85% of any prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
According to the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, the crash occurred at approximately 2:33 a.m. on Feb. 2, 2025, on Interstate 80 westbound in Rockaway Township.
Investigators determined Peters was driving a Mercedes SUV eastbound in the westbound lanes when it collided head-on with a 2024 Ford pickup truck traveling west.
The pickup truck’s driver, Destinn McKnight, 31, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the only occupant of the vehicle.
Peters, who was alone in the Mercedes, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to Morristown Medical Center for treatment.
Authorities said Peters exhibited signs of being under the influence at the crash scene, and charges were filed following the investigation.
Carroll thanked the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the New Jersey State Police for their work on the investigation. He also recognized Assistant Prosecutor Alyssa DiSturco and Assistant Prosecutor Alexander Bennett, who prosecuted the case.
