by Ocean County, NJ – A New Jersey woman convicted of killing two people in a highway crash will not serve prison time after a judge sentenced her to probation instead of incarceration, prosecutors announced this week. Danielle M. Bowker, 34, was found guilty by a jury of two counts of third-degree vehicular manslaughter tied to a March 2022 crash that killed Michael Sadis, 48, and Paul Lamberti, 58.
On Friday, a Superior Court judge sentenced Bowker to five years of probation and suspended her driving privileges for two years, a decision prosecutors described as a major departure from the prison term they sought.
Incident Overview
The case stems from a violent multi-vehicle crash in Manchester Township that prosecutors said began with a head-on collision and spiraled into a five-car pileup. Authorities said Bowker’s vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and struck a state Department of Transportation truck, triggering a chain reaction that ultimately killed two other drivers.
Despite the devastating outcome, neither Bowker nor the driver and passenger in the truck she struck were killed in the initial collision. The fatalities occurred after the DOT truck lost control and slammed into two other cars on the roadway.
Bowker was ultimately convicted of vehicular manslaughter, but jurors rejected claims that she was driving under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash.
Timeline of Events
The crash occurred the morning of March 29, 2022, at approximately 7:15 a.m., along Route 571 in Manchester Township, about 30 miles southeast of Trenton.
Police responding to the scene found a five-car pileup with one confirmed fatality. Investigators later determined that Bowker’s 2018 Honda Civic was traveling westbound when it struck a New Jersey Department of Transportation Ford F-550 pickup truck traveling eastbound.
That head-on collision caused the DOT truck to lose control and collide with additional vehicles, resulting in deadly consequences for two drivers who were not part of the initial impact.
In June 2022, prosecutors charged Bowker with multiple offenses, including two counts each of vehicular homicide, assault by auto, strict liability vehicular homicide, and driving while intoxicated. A grand jury formally indicted her in February 2023.
In October 2025, a jury convicted Bowker on two counts of third-degree vehicular manslaughter. On Friday, she was sentenced to five years’ probation and a two-year driver’s license suspension.
Details From Prosecutors and the Court
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said the sentence was far less than what the state had requested. Prosecutors had pushed for Bowker to serve three years in prison for each victim, and wanted those terms served consecutively, meaning one after the other.
Instead, the sentencing judge, Superior Court Judge Dina M. Vicari, imposed probation rather than incarceration.
The prosecutor’s office outlined how the crash unfolded after Bowker’s Honda struck the DOT vehicle, describing the chain reaction that killed Sadis and Lamberti.
“As a consequence, the Ford F-550 lost directional control and struck a 2012 Toyota Camry operated by Mr. Sadis, pushing the Camry off the roadway into an embankment,” prosecutors said. “The Ford F-550 continued in the same direction of travel and struck a 2015 Toyota Corolla operated by Mr. Lamberti.”
Sadis was pronounced dead at the scene. Lamberti was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he later died from his injuries, prosecutors said.
Marijuana Allegations and Jury Findings
A major focus of the case involved allegations that Bowker was impaired at the time of the crash. When she was originally charged, prosecutors alleged she was a “recent, active user of marijuana,” based on lab results showing THC in her system.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer previously said a state expert concluded Bowker’s ability to drive safely was impaired.
“Upon reviewing the laboratory results of Bowker’s blood draw, the state’s psychopharmacologist rendered an opinion that at the time of the crash, Bowker’s faculties were impaired due to the effects of marijuana intoxication, and that she could not safely operate a motor vehicle,” Billhimer said.
During the trial, Bowker admitted she smoked marijuana the night before the crash. However, a defense expert testified that the effects would have worn off long before she woke up and drove the next morning.
Jurors ultimately rejected the marijuana-related charges, and a courtroom report indicated the jury found Bowker’s recklessness was tied to a failure to maintain her lane, rather than intoxication.
Conclusion
Danielle M. Bowker, 34, was convicted of two counts of third-degree vehicular manslaughter in connection with a March 29, 2022 crash in Manchester Township that killed Michael Sadis, 48, and Paul Lamberti, 58. Despite prosecutors seeking prison time, a judge sentenced Bowker to five years of probation and a two-year suspension of driving privileges, marking a significant outcome in a case that highlighted the deadly consequences of reckless driving.
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