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Donald Merce

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Tinton Falls Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison For Involuntary Manslaughter Death of Principal

Accident occurred in May, 2008 on Fort Monmouth property

A Tinton Falls man was sentenced to 41 months in prison for the involuntary manslaughter death of Donald Mence, a principal from Markham Place School in Little Silver. Dennis Smentowski, 47, previously guilty in 2011 to one count of involuntary manslaughter for driving his car while impaired by the sleep medication Ambien, causing the death of Merce, 58, in a head-on collision, on May 6, 2008, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced today. Smentkowski is a retired Long Branch police officer. According to a release from the United States Attorney's Office, Smentkowski was driving his Ford Explorer southbound on Oceanport Avenue near the east gate of Fort Monmouth at 7 a.m., when he drove across a double yellow line into oncoming traffic and…

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Tinton Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter in Death of Little Silver Principal

Dennis Smentkowski admitted he had taken four times the recommended dosage of Ambien that caused his car to drift out of his lane and collide with an oncoming vehicle three years ago.

A Tinton Falls man plead guilty in federal court on Wednesday to the death of a Little Silver school principal who was killed while driving to school three years ago, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press. Dennis Smentkowski, 46, admitted he had taken four times the recommended dosage of Ambien that caused him to drift from his lane while driving down Oceanport Avenue on the morning of May 6, 2008 and collide with the vehicle driven by Donald Merce, the former principal of Markham Place Middle School in Little Silver, who was killed instantly, according to the article by Dustin Racioppi. Smentkowski plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of eight years.

In this Article:

Markham Place Middle School (in Little Silver-Oceanport Patch)

rosemary sternbach

5:16 pm on Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Oh my...wondered what ever happened with that case...sad all the way around..   more ›

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