Plumsted Township, NJ – A Beachwood man will serve five years in New Jersey State Prison for a 2023 drunk and drug-impaired driving crash that killed a Browns Mills woman.
On August 8, 41-year-old John Zinkoski was sentenced by Judge David M. Fritch to five years behind bars under the No Early Release Act, requiring him to serve at least 85% of his sentence before parole eligibility. He also pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, resulting in a seven-month license suspension.
The fatal crash occurred on May 12, 2023, when Zinkoski’s Nissan Frontier, traveling an average of 86 mph, struck a Volvo XC6 making a turn onto Pinehurst Road. The Volvo’s driver, 59-year-old Judi Smith, suffered severe injuries and died at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood.
Blood tests showed Zinkoski’s blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit, with cocaine and benzodiazepine also present in his system. He was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, treated, and later released. A warrant was issued for his arrest in August 2023, and he surrendered later that month.
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Key Points
-John Zinkoski sentenced to five years in prison under No Early Release Act
-Crash killed Judi Smith, 59, in May 2023 in Plumsted Township
-BAC over legal limit with cocaine and benzodiazepine detected; vehicle speed averaged 86 mph
