The Sussex County man accused of killing three people, including a father and son, in a horrific crash on Tuesday along Route 23 in Wayne had been convicted of driving while on drugs in November 2016, according to court papers.

Jason Vanderee, 29, is also believed to have been under the influence of opiates when he crashed into the Delta gas station Tuesday morning, killing Jon Warbeck, 50, Luke Warbeck, 17, and Lovedeep Fatra, 22.

"The defendant Jason Vanderee was exhibiting signs of being under the influence of opiates and was administered Narcan by responding paramedics," a police affidavit says.

Vanderee needed Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, a drug that is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, in the incident related to the 2016 conviction as well. The drug has been credited for saving the lives of people addicted to heroin and other opiates.

Vanderee, of Glenwood in Vernon Township, was charged with three counts of first-degree aggravated manslaughter, three counts of first-degree death by auto while driving intoxicated within 1,000 feet of school property, three counts of second-degree death by auto, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of hypodermic needles, and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office.

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Vanderee was scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, but the court appearance was canceled and was not immediately rescheduled, a court administrator said.

After the crash, he was taken to St. Joseph's University Medical Center, where blood was drawn and drugs and hypodermic needles were found on his person, the affidavit says.

"The defendant was found to be in possession of empty glassine folds of suspected Heroin and nine full glassine bags of suspected Heroin," the affidavit states. "The defendant was also in possession of a used hypodermic needle, which was found on the floorboard of the vehicle in plain view."

Vanderee has been involved in four prior accidents, according to his driving record.

Since 2008, he has been cited twice for operating a motor vehicle under the influence, speeding and unsafe operation of a vehicle, according to the state Motor Vehicle Commission. His list of infractions also includes driving the wrong way on a one-way street, improperly displaying his license plate and failing to maintain lamps.

Vanderee was cited for driving under the influence in November 2016 and again in April 2017. His driving record shows he paid a fee for the New Jersey Alcohol Countermeasures Program, a rehabilitation and education program, in October 2017. A month later, his driving privileges were restored, the record shows.

In January, Vanderee had two points subtracted from his license for safe driving, and the state lists his driver status as “In Good Standing.”

It is not clear where Vanderee was coming from at the time of the crash, but Paterson has been the center of a drug trade supplying suburban and rural users throughout North Jersey. Prosecutors in Bergen County have set up law enforcement operations in which they follow drug buyers from Paterson into Bergen County, where they are arrested and have been offered drug treatment.

Vanderee mentioned his drug problems on Facebook, writing in August 2017 that he had stayed clean for 100 days.

“Thank you to everyone who’s supported me and who have given me hope,” he wrote.

In November 2017, Vanderee posted about the death of a friend whom he appeared to have met in treatment.

“Addiction is no joke ... we both knew that, I just wish you wanted it as bad as I did,” Vanderee wrote.

And a month earlier he posted: “Look out NJ ... this guy will be back on the roads in 30 days,” with an emoji of a winking face.

Vanderee appeared to have an affinity for cars and speed, posting in April 2016 about his Subaru.

“Totally forgot how what the Subie can do ... all that safe driving has dulled my senses,” he wrote.

The chaotic crash on Tuesday was described in affidavits signed to justify Vanderee’s arrest on charges that included causing the deaths of all three people by striking them with his vehicle while under the influence of narcotics, the court complaint said.

In the violent crash, the car he was driving took flight as it veered toward the gas station, finally coming to a stop after hitting two cars, including the Warbecks' Camaro, Fatra, an air pump and a sign post, the affidavit says.

"As it traveled onto the property it went airborne and continued to a northeast direction," the affidavit states.

Vanderee's 2004 Honda Pilot slammed into a Camaro, killing Warbeck; his son Luke, a Boonton High School student; and Fatra, of Pequannock, who was set to start a new career as a commercial truck driver.

“All three victims sustained fatal injuries as a result of the collision,” the affidavit states.

At 11:55 a.m. Wednesday, Vanderee was taken into custody at the Passaic County Jail by Wayne police, said Bill Maer, a spokesman for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, which oversees the jail.

The Prosecutor's Office asks anyone who witnessed this crash or has additional information to contact 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org or contact the Wayne Police Department Traffic Division at 973-694-0600.