NJ boater faces homicide charge as deadly summer on the water claims another life in third fatal crash
A New Jersey man faces felony charges following a late-night crash in Barnegat Bay that killed a 26-year-old passenger and left two others critically injured along the Jersey Shore in late July.
Troopers from the New Jersey State Police Marine Bureau arrested Kevin Wells, 40, of Warren, New Jersey, on Friday, charging him with vehicular homicide and two counts of assault by vessel while intoxicated.
State police said troopers responded just before 11 p.m. on July 25 to reports of a serious vessel collision along the Intracoastal Waterway in Toms River Township.
Investigators said Wells was operating a 32-foot Boston Whaler through the waterway when the boat struck a channel marker.
Following the impact, Wells navigated the damaged vessel to a private residence on Silver Lagoon Drive in Toms River Township, where emergency personnel arrived to render aid.
A passenger aboard the boat, Michael T. Bereheiko, 26, of Green Brook, New Jersey, was rushed to an area hospital, where he later died.
Two other passengers – 27-year-old Steven Pochick, of Green Brook, and 27-year-old Nicholas Cherasaro, of North Plainfield – sustained serious injuries and were transported to a local hospital. A fourth passenger, 24-year-old Sarah Stulh, of Bayville, suffered minor injuries.
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According to his obituary, Bereheiko was a 2017 graduate of Watchung Hills Regional High School, where he played varsity football on both offense and defense. Teammates affectionately called him "Bear."
He later attended Lincoln Tech, studied to become a heavy diesel mechanic and worked for Schifano Construction Corporation in Middlesex. His family noted he possessed a natural mechanical talent and loved spending time at the Jersey Shore.
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Following his arrest on Friday, Wells was booked into the Ocean County Jail. Records show he is being held without bail pending a formal court detention hearing.
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State police said the investigation into the crash remains active.
The incident marks at least the third fatal boating collision involving alleged impairment in the area this summer.
State police charged another New Jersey boater in August for a separate fatal Memorial Day crash along the Jersey Shore. Jennifer L. Pearson, 59, of Barnegat, surrendered on Aug. 19 after authorities alleged she was intoxicated while operating a 23-foot center console vessel in Barnegat Bay near Brant Beach.
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Pearson’s boat collided with a channel marker around 5:45 p.m., ejecting her 28-year-old son, Gunnar Pearson, and his girlfriend into the water. Gunnar Pearson was rushed to a hospital, where he later died, while four others were treated for minor injuries.
Pearson faces charges of second-degree death by vessel, operating a vessel under the influence, reckless operation, operating without a safety certificate and failure to keep a proper lookout.
Court records show investigators smelled alcohol when speaking with Pearson, who admitted to drinking earlier that afternoon.
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In a third fatal crash this summer, authorities charged 64-year-old Stephen Schneider after a July 19 boating collision claimed the lives of his two young grandchildren in the bay near Berkeley Township, NJ.com reported.
Schneider was charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide after his boat struck a channel marker, the outlet reported.
Police alleged Schneider was intoxicated at the time of the crash, which killed 9-year-old Mya Bella Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund Paul Golabek.
Fox News Digital’s Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.