Seaside Park Woman Indicted for Vehicular Homicide in Drunken Hit-And-Run

Genell McInaw. (Photo: Ocean County Jail)

A grand jury sitting in Ocean County has handed up indictments against a Seaside Park woman who is charged in the death of a Seaside Park man, stemming from a hit-and-run accident that occurred while she was allegedly driving drunk, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Genell McInaw, 51, of Seaside Park, was indicted Wednesday on charges of vehicular homicide, strict liability vehicular homicide, and knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in death, all in connection with an incident that occurred in Seaside Heights on Sept. 23, 2024. The accident claimed the life of Robert Popovics, 75, of Seaside Park.

According to previous statements from officials, Seaside Heights police were called to the area of Dupont Avenue and the Boulevard about 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 23, 2024 for a report of a man lying in the roadway. Responding officers discovered Popovics lying unconscious in the roadway with “apparent serious bodily injuries.” Popovics was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, for treatment of his injuries.

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On Nov. 1, 2024, Popovics succumbed to his injuries as a result of the September crash, and was pronounced deceased at Jersey Shore. McInaw was charged with vehicular homicide two days later and surrendered herself to police.

A joint investigation conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Seaside Heights police and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, determined that a dark-colored sedan was traveling south on the Boulevard when it struck Popovics and fled the area. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle was being operated by Mcinaw at the time of the crash, prosecutors allege.

Laboratory results of Mcinaw’s mandatory blood draw determined that her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) at the time of the crash was .187, according to prosecutors. In New Jersey, an operator of a motor vehicle is presumed to be over the legal limit for purposes of alcohol consumption where the operator’s BAC is .08 or greater.

McInaw was transported to the Ocean County Jail after her charges were upgraded, but she was eventually released pursuant to the state’s bail reform law. She remains free pending the outcome of a future trial.