A 52-year-old Lakehurst man has pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in connection with a July 2025 crash in Toms River that claimed the life of a construction worker.
Douglas Smith entered his guilty plea on August 31, 2026, before Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer in connection with the July 31, 2025 death of Allen Adams, 50, of Lumberton Township.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:00 a.m. near Lakewood Road and Raymond Avenue. Toms River Township Police responded to reports of a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian and found Adams seriously injured in the roadway. He was transported to Community Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.
According to the investigation, Adams was working in a construction zone on Lakewood Road, with machinery equipped with flashing amber warning lights, when he was struck by a vehicle traveling northbound. The vehicle, operated by Smith, was located on Lakewood Road just north of the crash scene.
When officers made contact with Smith, they observed signs of impairment. He was initially charged with driving while intoxicated and reckless driving.
As part of the investigation, Smith was transported to Community Medical Center, where his blood was drawn pursuant to a court-authorized warrant. Laboratory results later showed that Smith had a blood alcohol concentration of .151, well above New Jersey’s legal limit of .08.
Investigators also determined that Smith had cocaine, fentanyl and methadone in his system at the time.
Smith was subsequently charged with vehicular homicide on August 28, 2025, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On September 3, 2025, members of the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office and Toms River Township Police Department located Smith at a Toms River residence. He was taken into custody without incident and has remained detained at the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on October 23, 2026. The State is seeking a 10-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison, subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA).
