MANCHESTER – A Howell man has admitted responsibility for a deadly off-road crash that claimed the life of a passenger nearly five years ago in Manchester Township.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Stephen McGuire, 48, pleaded guilty on November 3 to Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide and Endangering the Welfare of a Child before Superior Court Judge David M. Fritch. Sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2026, when prosecutors will recommend a three-year state prison term.
Authorities said the fatal crash happened around 8:30 p.m. on December 12, 2020, at the Heritage Minerals Mine—known locally as ASARCO—off Route 70 in the Whiting section. Police were called after a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) drove into a lake on the property and became submerged.
An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Manchester Township Police determined McGuire was operating the UTV, which carried passenger James Grover, 62, of Howell, and three minors. The vehicle entered the water and overturned. Grover was found still strapped in by his safety harness and was later pronounced dead despite rescue attempts.
A blood test later showed McGuire had a blood alcohol level of .127, well above New Jersey’s legal limit of .08, prosecutors said. He was arrested on January 5, 2021, and released under the state’s bail reform laws.
“This plea agreement was reached only after extensive discussions with the family of Mr. Grover, who expressed an unequivocal desire to extend mercy to this defendant,” Billhimer said. “Their compassionate and forgiving nature brings this very difficult chapter to a close and permits the healing process to begin.”
Billhimer credited the efforts of Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke and multiple law enforcement and emergency response agencies who assisted in the investigation and recovery.
