A New Jersey woman involved in a drunk hit-and-run crash that ultimately killed a 75-year-old man is now facing upgraded charges, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Genell Mcinaw, 50, of Seaside Park, is charged with vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced.
Mcinaw is accused of driving a dark-colored sedan that struck Robert Popovics near the intersection of Dupont Avenue and the Boulevard in late September and then feeling the scene.
Seaside Heights police responded to the area around 9:30 pm on Sept. 23 for a report of a male victim lying on the road. First responders found Popovics, who had been trying to cross the street, “unconscious in the roadway.”
He was rushed to the Jersey Shore University Medical Center where he remained in critical condition for just over a month. He was pronounced dead on Nov. 1
Popovics, of Seaside Park, was described by his family as a proud Marine veteran, an avid fly fisherman and a devoted friend. He was a beloved local restaurateur who ran the Shady Rest Restaurant in Bayville, which is owned by his family. He was also Mcinaw’s employer. according to local media.
Mcinaw was initially charged with knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury to another person.
However, her charges have since been elevated, prosecutors said.
The upgrade comes as a result of Popovic’s death and because Mcinaw was drunk at the time of the crash.
Officials say her blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, was 0.187 at the time of the crash. In New Jersey, drivers with a BAC of 0.08 or greater are considered too drunk to drive.
Mcinaw surrendered to authorities on Tuesday. She was transported to the Ocean County Jail, where she is being held pending a detention hearing.
