A woman from Burlington County who refused to enter a rehab facility and then fatally ran over her boyfriend is headed to prison.

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office says on Thursday, 35-year-old Tina C. Lewis of Mount Holly learned she would be spending the next ten years behind bars after pleading guilty to a first-degree aggravated manslaughter charge.

According to authorities, on September 24th, 2021, Lewis and her boyfriend, Craig Everett, arrived at Recovery Centers of America (RCA) in Mays Landing.

An investigation revealed that Lewis refused to enter RCA and as Everett attempted to get her into the rehab facility, she got back into her vehicle in the driver's seat and Everett jumped into the passenger seat.

Recovery Centers of America in Mays Landing NJ - Photo: Google Maps
Recovery Centers of America in Mays Landing NJ - Photo: Google Maps
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Once both were in the vehicle,

Lewis drove away from RCA and made a right turn onto Atlantic Avenue, where Everett got out of the vehicle and began walking in the grass area on the shoulder. Lewis’ vehicle drove off the paved roadway into the grass area, ultimately hitting and running over Everett.

Lewis briefly stopped, then fled, then eventually returned to RCA where she denied knowing what happened to Everett.

Prosecutors say at the time, Lewis had a blood alcohol concentration of .22%.

Everett suffered numerous skull fractures, a brain bleed, rib fractures, a femoral fracture, and a pelvic fracture. He died the following day.

Prison Sentence Could Have Been Longer

At the time of sentencing, the court could have sentenced Lewis, who had no prior criminal history, to a range of five to 30 years in prison. The State argued for 15 years while the defense argued for a lesser term.

Lewis' sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, which means she must serve 85% of her term before becoming eligible for parole.

This case was investigated by the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Crash Investigation Unit and the Hamilton Township Police Department.

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