Sussex County Man Gets 30 Years In Prison For Drug-Induced Crash That Killed 3

WAYNE, NJ — A Sussex County man was sentenced Thursday to 30 years in state prison for killing three people during a drug-induced crash in Wayne. Jason Vanderee will serve three 10-year terms — one for each life lost in the Feb. 19, 2019, collision that killed a father, a son and a gas station attendant.

Vanderee, of Vernon, pleaded guilty Nov. 12 to three counts of aggravated manslaughter (first-degree) and driving under the influence. He must serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming parole-eligible. Each count also carries five years of parole supervision each upon his future release from prison.

During Vanderee's guilty plea, he admitted he purchased heroin in Paterson. He then drove his vehicle recklessly on Route 23 N in Wayne, losing consciousness and control of the vehicle in the process. Vanderee's vehicle left the road and careened into the Delta gas station at 1220 Route 23 N.

While airborne, the man's car fatally struck the gas attendant, Lovedeep Fatra, and hit two vehicles parked at the gas pumps. The collision killed Jon and Luke Warbeck, who occupied one of the vehicles. Three people in the other car were unhurt.

Vanderee admitted he was under the influence of heroin, fentanyl, alprazolam and cocaine during the crash.

Fatra moved to the United States from India for a better life and had been supporting his family back home. He was slated to quit his job at the gas station later that month to become a truck driver, according to a GoFundMe that supported his family.

Jon and Luke Warbeck were inseparable and spent a lot of times outdoors together, their family said. Luke was a junior at Boonton High School.