An Ocean County grand jury has indicted a Lakehurst man on a charge of vehicular homicide in connection with a July motor vehicle crash in Toms River that killed a pedestrian, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
Douglas Smith, 51, was indicted on December 18, 2025, for Vehicular Homicide stemming from a July 31, 2025 crash on Lakewood Road that resulted in the death of Allen Adams, 50, of Lumberton Township. The grand jury also indicted Tammie Malek, 46, and Amy Thorn, 56, both of Toms River, on charges of Hindering the Apprehension of Another in connection with the same incident.
According to investigators, at approximately 1:00 a.m. on July 31, 2025, officers from the Toms River Township Police Department responded to the area of Lakewood Road and Raymond Avenue for a report of a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian. Upon arrival, officers found Adams lying in the roadway with serious injuries. He was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was pronounced deceased.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit–Vehicular Homicide Squad and the Toms River Township Police Department determined that 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 operated by Smith. Officers later located Smith’s vehicle on Lakewood Road just north of the crash site.
As officers interacted with Smith, he exhibited signs of impairment and was initially charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Reckless Driving. He was transported to Community Medical Center, where a blood draw was obtained pursuant to a court-authorized warrant. Laboratory results showed Smith’s blood alcohol concentration was .151 at the time of the draw—nearly twice New Jersey’s legal limit of .08. Toxicology results also revealed the presence of cocaine, fentanyl, and methadone in his system.
As a result of the findings, Smith was charged with Vehicular Homicide on August 28, 2025, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On September 3, 2025, Smith was located at a Toms River residence by officers from the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and Toms River Township Police Department. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains detained pending trial.
During the investigation, detectives learned that Malek and Thorn provided false information to law enforcement regarding Smith’s whereabouts. Both were charged on September 3, 2025, with Hindering the Apprehension of Another. They were taken into custody, transported to the Ocean County Jail, and later released pursuant to New Jersey bail reform.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Meghan O’Neill for presenting the case to the grand jury and commended the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit–Vehicular Homicide Squad, Toms River Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force for their collaborative efforts in the investigation.