Former Morris Co. Cop Sentenced After Fatal DUI Crash

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — A former East Hanover police officer has been sentenced after causing a fatal car crash while intoxicated, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office announced.

Keith M. Gunther, 42, has been sentenced to five years in prison following a car crash that resulted in a man's death back in October 2024. He was charged with reckless vehicular homicide, assault by auto, and driving under the influence.

According to officials, the charges stem from an October 15 car crash that took place on Route 23 North in Riverdale.

Gunther was employed as a sergeant with the East Hanover Police Department when he was driving his Ford F-150 on the wrong side of the road, smashing into a Toyota Camry, authorities said. He was not on duty at the time of the incident.

The driver of the Toyota, whose identity was not provided, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to officials. The Toyota’s passenger, 55-year-old Hamid Shabuddin of Paterson, was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation revealed that Gunther was intoxicated at the time of the crash, and he received several charges from the Riverdale Police and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Gunther pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to five years in prison on June 17. According to officials, he will be required to serve 85 percent of the sentence before he is eligible for parole, subject to the No Early Release Act.