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Douglas Thompson was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan on Monday, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, as a result of a previously entered guilty plea to death by auto.
Ryan also ordered that Thompson’s driving privileges be suspended for life. Thompson pleaded guilty to the offense on Nov. 19, 2020.
At the time of he was sentenced on the death by auto offense, Thompson also pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated, for which Ryan sentenced Thompson to 180 days incarceration to run concurrent with the five-year state prison sentence, Billhimer said.
On Oct. 15, 2019, Toms River Township Police were called to the Route 9 and Stevens
Road on a report of a serious crash.
Thomas Marciano, 65, of Toms River, was stopped behind a motor vehicle making a left-hand turn when he was struck from behind by a vehicle operated by Thompson, Billhimer said.
Marciano was taken to Community Medical Center and subsequently flown to Jersey Shore University Medical Center due to the severity of his injuries. Marciano ultimately died of those injuries on Oct. 28, 2019, the prosecutor said.
Thompson submitted to chemical breath testing on the date of the crash, which revealed his Blood Alcohol Concentration to be .17 percent – more than double the legal limit under New Jersey law, Billhimer said.
Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Robert Cassidy and Senior Assistant Prosecutor Jamie Schron handled the case.
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