Woman Charged in Fatal Seaside Heights Accident Involving Restaurant Owner

Genell Mcinaw, 50, of Seaside Park,

Woman Charged in Fatal Seaside Heights Accident Involving Restaurant Owner

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced that a woman from Seaside Park has been indicted on several charges related to the Seaside Heights crash, where she is accused of striking and killing a well-known restaurant owner and fishing legend in Ocean County.

In connection with the Sept. 23, 2024 collision that claimed the life of Robert Popovics, 75, of Seaside Park, Genell A. McInaw, 51, was indicted by an Ocean County grand jury on Wednesday on charges of vehicular homicide, strict liability vehicular homicide, and knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in death, according to the prosecutor's office.

According to the prosecutor's office, Seaside Heights police were sent to the intersection of Dupont Avenue and the Boulevard at approximately 9:30 p.m. on September 23 after receiving a complaint of a man lying in the road. They discovered Popovics, who was later recognized as the man, unconscious and seriously injured.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Popovics was struck at 9:28 p.m. while he was crossing the Boulevard after leaving Klee's. Popovics was taken to the hospital by air after police arrived three minutes later. According to the affidavit, an examination of Klee's security camera revealed a gray vehicle heading south and colliding with him.

According to the affidavit, police then examined local security footage and discovered the gray sedan in the Hooks Bar & Grillparking lot, along with a lady entering and exiting the vehicle two minutes prior to Popovics's collision.

Following their investigations, they located McInaw, a former Shady Rest employee. According to the affidavit, detectives found that Mcinaw consumed nine alcoholic drinks across about six hours, including two beers and two "cherry bombs" between 8:40 p.m. and 9:16 p.m., just before hitting Popovics.

Police discovered the vehicle with circular windshield damage on the driver's side when they arrived at Mcinaw's Seaside Park residence. Mcinaw acknowledged knowing she had struck someone when they spoke with her.

According to the laboratory results of McInaw's blood draw, her blood alcohol content was.187, more than twice the 0.08 percent threshold at which a driver is deemed legally inebriated in New Jersey.

During her detention hearing, McInaw was released from the Ocean County Jail to await trial. There was no announcement of her next court date.