Former cop, 45, breaks down in tears as he is sentenced to three years for high-speed crash that killed fellow officer

Former New Jersey police lieutenant Keith Buckley will serve 2 years before being eligible for parole after striking a plea deal

He was behind the wheel of a Dodge Viper that he borrowed from his brother when he lost control while speeding and hit a utility pole

His passenger Christopher Zerby, a father-of-two, was killed in the crash

In court on Thursday, Zerby's mother, sister and mother spoke of their grief

Buckley: 'I will never be the same and my reputation is destroyed'



A former police lieutenant broke down in tears today as he was sentenced to three years in prison for driving a sports car at high speeds while on duty and killing his passenger, a fellow cop.



Keith Buckley, who used to work for the North Brunswick Police Department in New Jersey, wiped away tears after listening to statements given by Christopher Zerby's wife and mother on Thursday.



'I will never again be the same husband, father, brother or son and my career and reputation are gone forever,' Buckley, 45, told the devastated family as he choked back his sobs.

The emotional scene came five-and-a-half years after he borrowed a Dodge Viper from his brother around lunch time and asked Zerby, a father of two young boys, if he wanted to go for a ride with him.

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Remorse: Former New Jersey police lieutenant Keith Buckley shed a tear in court on Thursday as he was sentenced to three years in prison for a car crash that killed a fellow cop

Overwhelmed: He wiped away tears as he told the court how he wished he could turn back time

But as they drove along Route 130 in the high-powered vehicle - at speeds as high as 94 mph - Buckley lost control and crashed into a utility pole, killing his 41-year-old passenger.

Buckley, who had been a cop for 19 years before he was terminated from the job in 2008, suffered serious injuries but was listed in stable condition after arriving at hospital.

He was initially charged with vehicular manslaughter, but pleaded guilty last year to official misconduct so that he would get lesser time in prison.

Loss: Christopher Zerby, a dad of two, had served as a township cop for 16 years

The plea deal will see him serve two years of his sentence before he is eligible for parole. He must also forfeit his job, his right to hold public office and his police pension.

He has claimed that he the crash was caused by his inexperience with driving a high-performance car, CBS reported.



But during the plea deal, he said that he had enjoyed driving the car fast, even though he was putting the public and his passenger in danger, the New Jersey Star-Ledger reported.



Superior Court Judge Bradley Ferencz told him on Thursday: ' The conduct you engaged in cannot be tolerated.'

Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Michael Weiss agreed that Buckley, who had hoped to become police chief, should not get leniency just because of his former job.



'What if a mom and her baby were pulling out a shopping center as he crashed and they were killed?' he asked. 'The defendant should not be treated any differently than anyone else.'

In their own emotional displays, Buckley's wife, mother and sister spoke of their loss.

'This is living hell,' Zerby’s mother, Sally, 88, told the court. 'No parent should have to bury a child. I try to remember Chris smiling, but all I see is him in the casket.'

Distraught: Zerby's wife Christine sat beside an image of him with his sons as she blamed Buckley for taking 'my past, present and future from me' with his thoughtless actions back in 2008

Heartbroken: Zerby's mother Sally said she could not forgot the image of her son in a casket Grieving: Zerby's family sat silently in the front row of the courtroom, surrounded by Buckley's relatives

Zerby’s widow, Christine, added that the accident had cost her 'my past, present and future'.



'My two sons lost their dad, but the person who lost the most is Chris,' she said beside a picture of her husband. 'He'll never see his sons grow up. He never saw his son learn how to ride a bike.'

She then turned on Buckley.



'Why were you driving a rented Dodge Viper around North Brunswick that day while you were on duty?' she said. 'A car that belongs on the race track, not residential roads. Why weren't you doing your job?'



Kathy Horvath, Christopher Zerby's sister, said that Buckley ' not only took my brother's life. He endangered the whole community'.

Wreck: Buckley smashed a rented Dodged Viper into a utility pole after losing control, killing his passenger

The distraught family sat in the front row in court, surrounded by Buckley's family.



In his own statement, Buckley said: 'I went from police officer to criminal in seconds because of a bad decision.'

As he was handcuffed and taken away, his wife Jennifer yelled: 'I love you.'

Zerby, who had grown up in North Brunswick, had been a township police officer for more than 16 years before his death and had served as the town's lead traffic safety officer.



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