Former Toms River Councilman Springs Drunk Driver Who Killed Beloved Ocean County Restaurateur

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TOMS RIVER, NJ—Robert Popovics was a beloved community member in Ocean County. His family owned the popular Shady Rest restaurant in Bayville, and he was an avid fisherman well-respected in the shore area’s tight-knit fishing community.

He was struck by a drunk driver in September and critically injured. Despite fighting for his life, Popovics passed away. Now, the woman who killed him is facing a vehicular homicide charge.

She was taken into custody, but set free under New Jersey’s bail reform law by criminal defense attorney Terrance Turnbach, a former Democrat councilman in Toms River. Turnbach argues his client suffered a medical episode that contributed to the crash, not her blood alcohol level, which was twice the state’s legal limit.

A Seaside Park woman accused of a fatal hit-and-run that killed her boss, Robert S. Popovics, was released from jail Wednesday pending her trial. Genell A. Mcinaw was ordered not to drive or consume excessive alcohol as part of her pretrial release conditions, according to Judge Wendel Daniels. Mcinaw, who worked for Popovics, a well-known fly fisherman and restaurant owner, faces multiple charges in connection with the incident.

The charges against Mcinaw escalated following Popovics’ death, which occurred after the initial Sept. 23 incident in Seaside Heights. Originally charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing serious injury, she now faces counts of vehicular homicide, strict liability vehicular homicide, and knowingly leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death. Prosecutors allege that Popovics suffered severe injuries that might have been mitigated if Mcinaw had stopped and called for help.