Lakehurst man indicted after drunk driving crash kills construction worker in Toms River
Toms River, NJ — A Lakehurst man has been indicted for vehicular homicide after investigators say he plowed into a construction worker while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, killing the man in the early morning hours of July 31 on Lakewood Road.
Douglas Smith, 51, was indicted by an Ocean County grand jury on Thursday for the death of Allen Adams, 50, of Lumberton Township, who was working in a marked construction zone when he was struck. Two other individuals — Tammie Malek, 46, and Amy Thorn, 56, both of Toms River — were also indicted for allegedly hindering law enforcement in the aftermath of the crash.
Officers responding to the crash around 1:00 a.m. found Adams lying in the roadway near Lakewood Road and Raymond Avenue with critical injuries. He was transported to Community Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators say Adams was working alongside construction equipment displaying flashing amber warning lights when he was hit by a vehicle traveling northbound. Officers located Smith and his vehicle just north of the crash site. Smith appeared impaired and was taken to the hospital for a court-authorized blood draw.
Toxicology results later showed Smith had a blood alcohol content of .151 — nearly twice the legal limit — and tested positive for cocaine, fentanyl, and methadone.
Smith was formally charged with vehicular homicide on August 28. He was arrested on September 3 at a Toms River residence by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force and remains in custody at the Ocean County Jail.
Detectives later discovered Malek and Thorn had given false information to police about Smith’s location, leading to their charges for hindering apprehension. They were arrested the same day and released under New Jersey Bail Reform.
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Key Points
- Douglas Smith indicted for vehicular homicide after striking and killing a construction worker while intoxicated
- Blood test showed Smith had a BAC of .151 and multiple drugs in his system at the time of the crash
- Two Toms River women indicted for allegedly helping Smith evade arrest by misleading investigators