TOMS RIVER, NJ — A 51-year-old woman from Seaside Park has been indicted on multiple charges, including vehicular homicide, in connection with a hit-and-run crash that killed a 75-year-old man in Seaside Heights last September, Ocean County First Assistant Prosecutor Michael T. Nolan, Jr. announced Wednesday.
Genell McInaw was formally indicted on charges of Vehicular Homicide, Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide, and Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Crash Resulting in Death. The charges stem from a September 23, 2024, incident that led to the death of Robert Popovics, also of Seaside Park.
Officers from the Seaside Heights Police Department responded to Dupont Avenue and the Boulevard around 9:30 p.m. that evening after receiving a report of a man lying in the roadway. Popovics was found unconscious with serious injuries and transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he later died on November 1.
An investigation determined that a dark-colored sedan struck Popovics and fled the scene. Detectives later identified McInaw as the driver. She was taken into custody at her home without incident and initially charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a crash causing serious bodily injury.
Blood alcohol level more than double legal limit
A court-authorized blood draw taken after McInaw’s arrest revealed her blood alcohol concentration was .187 — more than twice New Jersey’s legal limit of .08. Based on those results and Popovics’ subsequent death, the charges were upgraded.
McInaw surrendered to Seaside Heights police on November 4, 2024, in the presence of her attorney. She was booked into the Ocean County Jail and later released in accordance with New Jersey Bail Reform guidelines.
McInaw is scheduled for further court proceedings in Ocean County as the case moves forward following the grand jury indictment.
A woman with a BAC of .187 now faces homicide charges in a deadly Seaside Heights hit-and-run.
