OCEAN COUNTY – A Howell man was sentenced to state prison for his role in a fatal utility terrain vehicle crash that claimed the life of another rider and endangered several children, authorities said.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Stephen McGuire, 48, was sentenced on January 9 to an aggregate term of three years in New Jersey State Prison after pleading guilty to strict liability vehicular homicide and endangering the welfare of a child. The sentences, imposed by Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch, will run concurrently.
The charges stem from a Dec. 12, 2020 incident at the Heritage Minerals Mine property in Manchester Township, where a UTV driven by McGuire entered a lake on the Route 70 site shortly after 8:30 p.m., investigators said.
Authorities determined the vehicle was carrying four passengers, including three minors and 62-year-old James Grover of Howell. The UTV overturned and became submerged in about 25 feet of water. Emergency responders later recovered the vehicle during an underwater search and found Grover still secured by his safety harness. Despite lifesaving efforts at the scene, he was pronounced dead.
McGuire was transported to Community Medical Center, where a court-authorized blood draw showed his blood alcohol concentration was 0.127 — above New Jersey’s legal limit of 0.08, officials said.
On January 5, 2021, McGuire was arrested without incident at his residence in Howell by Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad and Officers from Manchester Township Police Department. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.
McGuire pleaded guilty to both charges on Nov. 3, 2025. Prosecutors said the resolution followed extensive discussions with Grover’s family, who expressed a desire for mercy as the case came to a close.
In a press release, Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke handled the case on behalf of the State and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Vehicular Homicide Squad, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Manchester Township Police Department, New Jersey State Police Aviation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Manchester Township Volunteer Fire Company, Ridgeway Volunteer Fire Company, Whiting Volunteer Fire Company, Manchester Township Emergency Medical Services, Robert Wood Johnson Paramedics, and Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation.
