Howell Man Charged In Connection With UTV Death: Officials

HOWELL, NJ - A Howell man has been charged in connection with the death of another Howell resident after reportedly driving a utility terrain vehicle under the influence into a lake at the Heritage Minerals mining site, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday.

Stephen McGuire, 43, was charged this week with vehicular homicide in connection with the Dec. 12 death of James Grover, 62. McGuire was also charged with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, criminal trespass, reckless driving, driving while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated with a minor as a passenger.

According to authorities, the UTV driven by McGuire on Dec. 12 had entered a lake with Grover and three minors as passengers. Although McGuire and the minors were able to get out, the UTV and Grover did not resurface and the group was unable to find him, authorities said.

Manchester Township Police, alongside members of the Manchester, Ridgeway and Whiting Volunteer Fire Companies, conducted an underwater search and rescue operation and located the UTV submerged in 25 feet of water. Grover was attached to the vehicle by his safety harness.

Although Manchester EMS and RWJ paramedics performed resuscitation efforts on the Howell man, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Following the incident, McGuire was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River where laboratory blood results found a BAC of .127 percent. In New Jersey, an operator of a motor vehicle is presumed to be over the legal limit of alcohol consumption at a BAC greater than .08 percent.

McGuire was arrested on Jan. 5 at his Howell residence, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. He is currently at Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.

The Heritage Minerals site off Route 70, also known as ASARCO, has been a favorite site for all-terrain vehicle riders and the lake, known as Crystal Lake, has been a draw for swimmers for years. No trespassing signs are posted and Manchester police have patrolled entrances, which have been blocked off by gates from time to time, to prevent activities at the site because of the dangers posed by the lake, which resulted from mining activity and does not have a stable bottom.

There have been a few swimmers who have died while swimming in the lake, including a Plainfield man who drowned there in July. Read more: Man Drowns In Heritage Minerals Lake: Manchester Police

With reporting by Karen Wall.