By: Richard L. Smith
A Lakehurst man has pleaded guilty in connection with a deadly Toms River crash that killed a construction worker who was working along a roadway last summer.
According to a statement released by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Douglas Smith, 52, pleaded guilty on August 31 to vehicular homicide in the death of 50-year-old Allen Adams of Lumberton Township.
The crash happened shortly after 1 a.m. on July 31, 2025, near Lakewood Road and Raymond Avenue.
Authorities said Adams was working inside a construction zone on Lakewood Road when he was struck by Smith’s northbound vehicle. Construction equipment in the area had flashing amber warning lights operating at the time, according to investigators.
Police found Adams seriously injured in the roadway. He was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators said officers located Smith’s vehicle a short distance from the crash scene and observed signs that he was impaired.
A court-authorized blood draw later showed Smith had a blood-alcohol concentration of .151, nearly twice New Jersey’s legal limit of .08. Prosecutors said testing also detected cocaine, fentanyl and methadone in his system.
Smith was eventually taken into custody in Toms River in September 2025 and has remained jailed since his arrest.
When Smith returns to court for sentencing on October 23, prosecutors said they will seek a 10-year New Jersey State Prison term subject to the No Early Release Act.