Woman Gets Five Years for Deadly Drunken Crash in Toms River

September 18, 2023
Woman Gets Five Years for Deadly Drunken Crash in Toms River
Photo 35945460 © Alexandru Cuznetov | Dreamstime.com

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ – On Friday, Ashley Beams, 32, was sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison for Vehicular Homicide.

The sentence is related to a motor vehicle crash that occurred on February 8, 2022, resulting in the death of James Cruz, 62.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Toms River Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit conducted the investigation.

Beams was found to have a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) substantially higher than the legal limit of .08 at the time of the collision.

Beams will be required to serve at least 85 percent of her prison sentence before being considered for parole eligibility, as per the terms of the No Early Release Act. She also pled guilty to Driving While Under the Influence of Alcohol, resulting in a one-year suspension of her driving privileges.