Police, Fire & Courts

Seaside Heights Woman Sentenced in Drunk Driving Death of Seaside Park Pedestrian

by
Daniel Nee
June 30, 2026

Genell McInaw. (Photo: Ocean County Jail)

A Seaside Park woman was sentenced to five years in state prison for vehicular homicide in the 2024 death of a 75-year-old man struck by a car and left in the roadway, authorities said.

Genell McInaw, 51, was sentenced June 24 by Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. The sentence is subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, requiring her to serve at least 85 percent of the term before becoming eligible for parole. She previously pleaded guilty to the charge on March 16.

The fatal crash occurred about 9:30 p.m. Sept. 23, 2024, on the Boulevard in Seaside Heights. Robert Popovics, of Seaside Park, was found unconscious in the roadway with serious injuries and was taken to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune. He died from his injuries on Nov. 1, 2024. Investigators determined a dark-colored sedan traveling south struck Popovics and fled the scene. McInaw was identified as the driver, authorities said. She was arrested at her home without incident and initially charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury.

A blood draw obtained by warrant showed McInaw had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.187. A state expert estimated her BAC at the time of the crash was approximately 0.21, well above New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08. Charges were upgraded to vehicular homicide, strict liability vehicular homicide and knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash resulting in death after Popovics died. She surrendered to police Nov. 4, 2024.

First Assistant Prosecutor Michael T. Nolan Jr. credited Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke and investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Seaside Heights Police Department and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.