Lakehurst man gets 9 years for fatal Toms River crash

A Lakehurst man received a nine-year state prison sentence this week for killing a construction worker in a Toms River crash. Douglas Smith, 52, was sentenced on Friday following his guilty plea in the death of Allen Adams, 50, who lived in Lumberton Township.

The accident occurred on July 31, 2025, around 1 a.m. Adams was working in a construction zone on Lakewood Road near Raymond Avenue when Smith's northbound car hit him. Prosecutors noted that the construction machinery at the scene had flashing amber warning lights turned on.

Adams was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where doctors pronounced him dead. Police found Smith's vehicle just north of the crash site and observed signs that he was impaired.

A court-ordered blood test revealed Smith had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.151, which exceeds New Jersey's legal limit of 0.08. The test also detected cocaine, fentanyl, and methadone in his system. Smith admitted to driving while intoxicated during his October 23 sentencing hearing.

The judge suspended Smith's driving privileges for 10 years as part of the sentence. He originally pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide on August 31. Under New Jersey's No Early Release Act, Smith must complete at least 85% of his nine-year term before he can apply for parole.