Toms River Woman Indicted In Double-Fatal Crash Where She Was High: Prosecutor

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Toms River woman who authorities say was high on marijuana has been indicted in a 2022 crash that killed two people and injured two others in 2022, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday.

Danielle Bowker, 30, was indicted Wednesday on two counts of vehicular homicide, two counts of strict liability vehicular homicide, and two counts of assault by auto in the crash that happened on Route 571 at the Manchester Township-Toms River border, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Bowker's attorney, S. Karl Mohel of Toms River, challenged the prosecutor's description of the crash and said his client is innocent.

"We have eyewitness testimony which disputes the rushed conclusion of the Ocean County Prosecutor," Mohel told Patch Thursday. "The state's psychopharmacologist does not rely on any state statute and instead delves into voodoo science to justify an opinion where no violation grounded in accepted science occurred."

"Ms. Bowker was not intoxicated," Mohel said.

In addition, Mohel said a witness to the crash who saw it happen from another car says the crash was caused by a pickup truck belonging to the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The witness "then sat with a sober Danielle Bowker for the next 45 minutes," after the crash, he said. "I am certain she will be not guilty at trial."

The crash happened about 7:15 a.m. March 29, 2022, near Whitesville Road and Route 571.

The prosecutor's office said its investigation found that Bowker, who was driving west on Route 571 in a 2018 Honda Civic, swerved out of her lane on the curve near Whitesville Road. Her car hit a Ford F-550 pickup truck owned by the New Jersey Department of Transportation that was being driven by Eduardo Rivera, 30, of Hamilton Township, and Rivera and his passenger, and Daniel Septor, 26, of the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold Township, both were injured, the prosecutor's office said.

The prosecutor's office said the impact caused the Ford F-550 to hit a 2012 Toyota Camry and push it off the road into an embankment. The driver of the Camry, Michael Sadis, 48, of Toms River, died at the scene, authorities said.

The Ford F-550 then hit a 2015 Toyota Corolla driven by Paul Lamberti, 58, also of Toms River. Lamberti was flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he died a few days after the crash, the prosecutor's office said. Read more: 1 Killed, 1 'Critical' After 4-Vehicle Route 571 Crash In Manchester

In June 2022, the prosecutor's office announced lab tests found Bowker had an active THC (marijuana) level of 7 nanograms (ng) with a metabolite THC level of 61ng, showing that Bowker was a “recent, active user of marijuana” at the time of the crash. Read more: Toms River Woman Was High On Weed In Crash That Killed 2: Prosecutor

The state's psychopharmacologist said the level was enough to leave Bowker impaired due to the effects of marijuana intoxication, and unable to drive safely, Billhimer said.

Bowker was arrested in June and later released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform, Billhimer said.

Note: This article has been updated with comment from Danielle Bowker's attorney.

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