Woman Was High On Fentanyl In Fatal Brick Crash: Prosecutor

BRICK, NJ — A Monmouth County woman has been charged with vehicular homicide, accused of driving while high in a head-on crash that killed a Brick Township woman on Mother's Day.

Ashley A. Watkins, 30, of Eatontown, was arrested Friday and charged with vehicular homicide, strict liability vehicular homicide and assault by auto in the May 9 crash on Lanes Mill Road that killed Nancy Penrod, 78, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Watkins also was issued motor vehicle summonses for driving while intoxicated, reckless driving and failure to maintain lane, he said.

Toxicology tests performed on a blood sample that Watkins consented to have drawn showed fentanyl, diphenhydramine (Benadryl), and marijuana in her bloodstream, "which rendered her unfit to safely operate a motor vehicle at the time of the crash on May 9th," Billhimer said.

Penrod died at Ocean Medical Center on May 9 of injuries she suffered in the crash, which happened about 9:45 a.m. at Lanes Mill Road and Greenwood Loop. Investigators determined Watkins, who was driving a 2011 Toyota Camry, crossed the center line of the road as she was driving southwest and hit a 2014 Dodge Caravan head-on. Terry Penrod, 78, Nancy's husband, was driving and suffered a broken leg and was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, authorities said.

Watkins suffered minor injuries and was taken to Ocean Medical Center for treatment, and consented to the blood draw there, Billhimer said.

Authorities received the toxicology results on June 2 and Watkins was arrested at her home on Friday, he said.

She is being held at the Ocean County Jail in Toms River pending a detention hearing.

The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Vehicular Homicide Unit and Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Brick Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit investigated.

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