A man who was high on heroin when he crashed his car into a New Jersey gas station, killing three people, has been sentenced to 30 years in state prison.
Jason Vanderee, 32, of Vernon, will receive credit for the nearly three years he’s already served, but will still need to serve about 20 more years before he becomes eligible for parole under the sentence imposed Thursday. He had pleaded guilty last November to three counts of aggravated manslaughter stemming from the February 2019 crash in Wayne.
Jon Warbeck, 50, of Fair Lawn, and his 17-year-old son, Luke, who were getting gas at the station, and Lovedeep Fatra, 22, who was working the pump, were all killed in the crash. Vanderee was not injured.
Vanderee, who was administered Narcan at the scene, hit a guardrail the morning of Feb. 19 in Wayne and smashed into a Delta gas station on Route 23. The impact was so violent it tore the roof off a vehicle at the scene, killing a father and 17-year-old son inside.
His attorney, John Latoracca, previously told NBC 4 New York that his client has an ongoing drug addiction, to mainly heroin, that spans about 10 years, adding that Vanderee doesn't remember the crash but feels terrible about the deaths.
Before being sentenced Thursday, Vanderee said he was sorry for the crash and took responsibility for his actions, saying his drug addiction has ruined his life.
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