Danielle M. Bowker avoided prison time after her conviction for causing a fatal multi-vehicle crash in New Jersey. She received probation instead of the jail sentence sought by prosecutors.
Crash Details
On March 29, 2022, in Manchester Township along Route 571, Bowker’s 2018 Honda Civic crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a New Jersey DOT Ford F-550 truck head-on. This impact caused the truck to veer off and hit vehicles driven by Michael Sadis, 48, who died at the scene, and Paul Lamberti, 58, who later died at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.
Charges and Trial
Bowker faced initial charges in June 2022 including second-degree vehicular homicide, strict liability vehicular homicide, assault by auto, and DWI, linked to THC in her system from marijuana use the prior night. A grand jury indicted her in February 2023. In October 2025, after a five-week trial in Ocean County, a jury convicted her of two counts of third-degree vehicular manslaughter but acquitted her on intoxication-related charges, citing her failure to maintain lane as reckless but not impaired driving.
Sentencing Outcome
On January 23, 2026, Superior Court Judge Dina M. Vicari sentenced the 34-year-old Manchester resident to five years of probation, a two-year driver’s license suspension, substance abuse evaluation, full-time employment requirement, and fines. Prosecutors had pushed for six years in prison served consecutively (three years per victim), emphasizing deterrence, but the judge followed sentencing guidelines bound by the jury’s verdict.
Reactions
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer expressed disappointment, calling the crash a result of reckless choices and hoping the outcome brings some justice to victims’ families. Victim impact statements, including from Sadis’s widow, highlighted profound loss and perceived lack of accountability by Bowker.​
