Bristol Man Gets 19.5-39 Years For DUI Crash That Killed 2: DA

BRISTOL, PA — A Bristol Township man who killed two and injured two more in a high-speed collision has been sentenced to 19-39 years in prison, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office announced Friday.

In September, a jury found Kevin Peters, 38, guilty of two counts each of third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, aggravated assault by vehicle, aggravated assault, and recklessly endangering another person.

He was also found guilty by Common Pleas Judge Diane E. Gibbons of two counts of driving under the influence and summary offenses of following too closely, reckless driving, disregarding a traffic lane, and driving at an unsafe speed.

Around 1 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2019, Peters was driving a Mazda CX-5 SUV at more than 100 mph when he rear-ended a minivan in the southbound lane of Interstate 95 in Bristol Township, the DA said.

The collision caused the minivan to veer off the roadway into the shoulder, where it hit the concrete barrier. The car burst into flames after the crash, according to the DA's report, killing backseat passengers Juan Jose Tavarez-Santelises, 20, and Claribel Dominguez, 35, both of Philadelphia, who were unable to get out.

The driver and front passenger, Tavarez-Santelises' father and brother, each suffered severe burns and injuries but managed to escape the car. The passengers had been on their way home from work, according to the DA.

On Friday, Gibbons heard written and oral victim impact statements from Tavarez-Santelises' father, 47-year-old Juan Alberto Tavarez, who also suffered permanent injuries, and viewed photos of Dominguez, including one with her two young children.

Through an interpreter, Tavarez recalled seeing the smoke and fire billowing from their minivan and knowing his son and Dominguez were both still inside.

“To see your son die, to see your son in the middle of all that fire, it was horrible,” he said.

In court, Deputy District Attorney David A. Keightly Jr. played a video showing Tavarez-Santelises playing the tambora, a Dominican drum, which is one of the many instruments he had mastered. His father said his son left behind “a million dreams and unaccomplished goals.”

An investigation found data from Peters' Mazda's onboard computer that showed he was traveling at a speed of at least 106 mph in the seconds just prior to the crash. The data also showed Peters applied the brake no more than 4/10 of a second prior to impact. One second prior to impact, the throttle on his SUV was found to be at 85 percent of full capacity.

The investigation also found that Peters had been drinking at a work function in Philadelphia that began at 5 p.m., and headed to a bar afterwards. Peters testified that he was offered a ride home from Philadelphia.

Video surveillance played at trial showed Peters struggling to exit a parking garage in his car, eventually breaking a security gate to leave. Video also showed Peters driving with his taillights off and running a stop sign at N 18th and Cherry streets in Philadelphia.

An investigation by Pennsylvania State Police determined Peters left center city Philadelphia approximately one hour before the crash. He went over the Scudder Falls Bridge onto I-95 north and I-295 east, passing up the exits closest to his home, and his erratic driving prompted two 911 calls within three seconds of each other.

Peters abruptly exited and got back onto I-295 west, which turns into I-95 south. The DA said that he testified that while he was driving, he reached down to the passenger floor to get his phone out of a bag. When he looked up, he crashed into the minivan.

A blood draw performed two hours after the crash indicated Peters had a blood-alcohol concentration of at least .151 while driving.

Gibbons gave Peters 7 ½ to 15 years on each of the third-degree murder convictions, two to four years on each of the aggravated assault convictions, and three to six months on each of the recklessly endangering another person convictions, all running consecutively, for a total of 19 ½ to 39 years in state prison.

The reckless endangerment charges accounted for two other drivers who Peters nearly collided with while driving northbound near the Newtown-Yardley Exit, about 15 minutes before the crash.

This case was investigated by Pennsylvania State Police and was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney David A. Keightly Jr.

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