A Lakehurst man was sentenced to state prison for a drunk and drug-impaired driving crash in Toms River that killed a roadway construction worker last year.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on October 23, 2026, Douglas Smith, 52, of Lakehurst, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer to nine years in New Jersey State Prison on his guilty plea to Vehicular Homicide in connection with the July 31, 2025, crash that killed Allen Adams, 50, of Lumberton Township. The sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, requiring Smith to serve at least 85 percent of the term before he may be considered for parole. Smith pleaded guilty before Judge Palmer on August 31, 2026, and at the time of sentencing also pleaded guilty to Driving While Intoxicated, for which Judge Palmer suspended his driving privileges for 10 years.
Smith was indicted on the vehicular homicide charge in December 2025.
On July 31, 2025, at approximately 1:00 AM, Toms River Township Police responded to the area of Lakewood Road and Raymond Avenue for a report of a motor vehicle crash involving a pedestrian. Officers found Mr. 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 revealed that Mr. 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 operated by Smith traveling northbound on Lakewood Road. Officers located the vehicle on Lakewood Road just north of where the crash occurred. As officers engaged Smith, he showed signs of impairment. He was initially charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Reckless Driving, and a sample of his blood was drawn pursuant to a court-authorized warrant.
Laboratory results revealed that Smith’s blood alcohol concentration was .151 at the time his blood was drawn. In New Jersey, a driver is presumed to be over the legal limit at a BAC of .08 or greater. Smith was also found to have cocaine, fentanyl, and methadone in his system. He 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 residence in Toms River by officers from the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and the Toms River Township Police Department. He was taken into custody without incident and has been held in the Ocean County Jail since that date.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledged the diligent efforts of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Meghan O’Neill, who handled the case for the State, and commended the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit Vehicular Homicide Squad, the Toms River Township Police Department, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force for their collaborative efforts in the investigation.
