TOMS RIVER – An Ocean County jury found a 33-year-old Toms River woman guilty of two counts of reckless vehicular homicide on Oct. 2 related to a chain-reaction crash that resulted in two fatalities.
Danielle Bowker was convicted after a month-long trial before Superior Court Judge Dina M. Vicari. The jury acquitted her of charges alleging she was under the influence of marijuana during the incident.
The crash occurred on March 29, 2022, at approximately 7:15 a.m. on Route 571 near Whitesville Road, when Bowker, driving a 2018 Honda Civic westbound, failed to maintain her lane, colliding with an eastbound Ford-550 pickup truck operated by Eduardo Rivera, 30, of Hamilton Township. The collision led to a three-vehicle crash involving a 2012 Toyota Camry driven by Michael Sadis, 48, and a 2015 Toyota Corolla operated by Paul Lamberti, 58.
Sadis died at the scene, while Lamberti succumbed to injuries after being airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center. Rivera and his passenger, Daniel Septor, sustained minor injuries and were treated at Community Medical Center in Toms River.
Bowker faces a maximum of five years in prison for each homicide conviction and will be sentenced on Dec. 12. Following the verdict, she was allowed to remain on home detention.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer stated, “This jury's verdict makes clear that we will hold drivers accountable when they put other lives at risk.”