A Lakehurst man has been charged with Vehicular Homicide following a crash that claimed the life of a construction worker in Toms River earlier this summer.

On July 31, 2025, just after 1:00 a.m., Toms River police responded to Lakewood Road near Raymond Avenue, where they found Allen Adams, 50, of Lumberton, lying in the roadway with severe injuries. Adams, who had been working in an active construction zone with machinery displaying flashing amber lights, had been struck by a vehicle traveling north on Lakewood Road. He was rushed to Community Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.

The driver, later identified as Douglas Smith, 51, of Lakehurst, remained at the scene. Officers reported signs of impairment, and Smith was initially charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Reckless Driving. A court-authorized blood draw revealed his Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) was .151—nearly double the legal limit of .08 in New Jersey. Toxicology results also showed cocaine, fentanyl, and methadone in his system.

Following those results, investigators charged Smith with Vehicular Homicide on August 28, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On September 3, he was located at a residence in Toms River and taken into custody without incident by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and the Toms River Police Department. Smith is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

Detectives also charged Tammie Malek, 46, and Amy Thorn, 56, both of Toms River, with Hindering the Apprehension of Another after learning they provided false information about Smith’s whereabouts. Both were taken into custody and remain in the Ocean County Jail pending hearings.

In response to the deadly tragedy, New Jersey state Senator Latham Tiver recently announced plans to introduce legislation that would toughen criminal penalties against drivers who commit vehicular homicide in construction zones,