The New Jersey Senate has passed legislation introduced by Senator Latham Tiver (R-8) that would increase criminal penalties for drivers convicted of vehicular homicide in work zones.
The measure, known as S-4758, was drafted following the death of Allen Adams, a construction worker who was killed by an alleged drunk driver while working on Route 9 in Toms River. Under current law, reckless vehicular homicide is typically classified as a second-degree crime, carrying a prison sentence of five to ten years. The penalty can be elevated to a first-degree crime—resulting in ten to twenty years in prison—if the incident occurs near a school zone or involves a driver with a revoked license.
Senator Tiver’s bill seeks to expand the circumstances under which charges may be increased to first-degree if the fatal accident happens within highway construction or repair areas or designated safe corridors.
“What happened to Mr. Adams was a highly avoidable tragedy committed by a selfish person who ignored not only our laws but work zone safety warnings. Mr. Adams was a skilled worker doing his job to support a family who will never get to see him again. He, along with every construction worker in our state, deserves to be safe while on the clock, repairing our infrastructure,” said Sen. Tiver, who has worked his entire adult life as a heavy machinery operator for Operating Engineers Local 825.
“Work zone warnings exist for a reason. They are meant to alert motorists of the men and women who are busting their asses on the side of the road, repairing and enhancing our infrastructure. It is an inherently dangerous job, and drivers need to respect that. The alleged drunk driver in this instance showed that he did not value human life when he disregarded those warnings. People who disregard the life of others, causing this level of tragedy, deserve to be locked behind bars for a long time,” Sen. Tiver continued.
The full text of S-4758 is available online.
