New Jersey state Senator Latham Tiver announced plans to introduce legislation that would toughen criminal penalties against drivers who commit vehicular homicide in construction zones, following the recent death of a roadway worker in Toms River.

The proposal comes in response to the tragic death of Allen Adams, a construction worker who was struck and killed earlier last month by an alleged drunk driver while working on Route 9 in Toms River.

Under current law, reckless vehicular homicide is typically classified as a second-degree crime, punishable by five to ten years in prison. Charges can be elevated to a first-degree crime, with a penalty of ten to twenty years, if the fatal accident occurs in a school zone or involves a driver with a revoked license.

Tiver’s bill would expand those circumstances by allowing prosecutors to pursue first-degree charges when a fatal crash occurs in a highway construction or repair zone, or within a designated safe corridor.

“What happened to Mr. Adams was a highly avoidable tragedy committed by a selfish person who ignored not only our laws but work zone safety warnings,” Tiver said. “Mr. Adams was a skilled worker doing his job to support a family who will never get to see him again. He, along with every construction worker in our state, deserves to be safe while on the clock, repairing our infrastructure.”

Tiver, who has spent his career working as a heavy machinery operator with Operating Engineers Local 825, said stronger penalties are necessary to protect workers and hold reckless drivers accountable.

“Work zone warnings exist for a reason,” he said. “They are meant to alert motorists of the men and women who are busting their backs on the side of the road, repairing and enhancing our infrastructure. It is an inherently dangerous job, and drivers need to respect that. The alleged drunk driver in this instance showed that he did not value human life when he disregarded those warnings. People who disregard the life of others, causing this level of tragedy, deserve to be locked behind bars for a long time.”

New Jersey’s “Move Over” law requires motorists to slow down and, if safe to do so, move over when approaching emergency or construction personnel on the roadside.