Woman Who Killed 2 Men In 2022 Manchester Crash Receives Verdict

Note: This article and its headline have been updated to reflect that Danielle Bowker was acquitted of charges related to marijuana. Patch regrets the error.

TOMS RIVER, NJ — An Ocean County woman has been convicted in a fatal 2022 crash in Manchester Township that killed two men and injured two more people, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said Thursday.

Danielle Bowker, 33, was found guilty following a five-week trial of two counts of third-degree vehicular homicide in the crash that killed Michael Sadis, 48, and Paul Lamberti, 58, both of Toms River, the prosecutor's office said.

Bowker was accused of being high on marijuana at the time of the crash that happened at 7:15 a.m. March 29, 2022, on Route 571 near Whitesville Road, the prosecutor's office said. Bowker has a Toms River mailing address but lives in the Pine Lake Park section of Manchester, according to records online.

She was acquitted of the marijuana charges, the Asbury Park Press reported.

"Reckless driving is not a mistake — it is a dangerous choice that costs lives," Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. "This jury’s verdict makes clear that we will hold drivers accountable when they put other lives at risk. Let this verdict serve as a cautionary tale: if you drive recklessly and take a life, you will face the consequences."

"While nothing can bring their loved ones back, we hope today’s verdict provides some measure of justice and closure for the loved ones of Michael Sadis and Paul Lamberti," Billhimer said.

Superior Court Judge Dina M. Vicari, who presided over the trial, is scheduled to sentence Bowker on Dec. 12, and she faces up to five years in prison, the prosecutor's office said.

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, Sadis died at the scene, authorities said.

The Ford F-550 then hit a 2015 Toyota Corolla driven by Lamberti. He 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, the prosecutor's office said.

Rivera and Septor were treated at Community Medical Center in Toms River for minor injuries, authorities said.

Bowker sustained minor injuries from the crash and was also taken to Community Medical Center for treatment and subsequently released. She was charged June 21, 2022, with two counts of second-degree vehicular homicide, two counts of strict liability vehicular homicide and two counts of assault by auto and indicted on the charges Feb. 15, 2023.

“Reckless driving is not a mistake – it is a dangerous choice that costs lives. This jury’s verdict makes clear that we will hold drivers accountable when they put other lives at risk. Let this verdict serve as a cautionary tale: if you drive recklessly and take a life, you will face the consequences,” Prosecutor Billhimer state. “While nothing can bring their loved ones back, we hope today’s verdict provides some measure of justice and closure for the loved ones of Michael Sadis and Paul Lamberti,” Prosecutor Billhimer concluded.

Prosecutor Billhimer appreciates the diligence and dedication of Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke who ably and skillfully tried the case on behalf of the State. The Prosecutor likewise extends his gratitude to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Manchester Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, for their combined and cooperative efforts in connection with this investigation resulting in these guilty verdicts.