Man Admits To LBI Hit-And-Run, DUI, Assaulting Police Officer

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, NJ — A Little Egg Harbor man admitted to fleeing the scene after hitting a bicyclist with his Jeep while under the influence and assaulting a police officer in two separate incidents, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

John Madden, 43, pleaded guilty to knowingly leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident resulting in serious bodily injury and driving under the influence of alcohol in connection with an April 8, 2020 incident in Long Beach Township, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. Madden also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer in connection with an April 4, 2020 incident in Little Egg Harbor, Billhimer said.

At the time of Madden's sentencing on Sept. 30, 2022, the State will seek a sentence of three years in New Jersey State Prison for leaving the scene of the accident and 18 months for assaulting the officer, Billhimer said. He said these sentences are to run cocurrently.

On April 8, 2020, Long Beach Township police responded to Long Beach Boulevard for the report of a hit-and-run with serious injuries to a bicyclist, Billhimer said. Daniel Bogacz, 63, of Beach Haven, was riding his bike northbound on Long Beach Boulevard when he was struck by a 2020 Jeep Liberty heading the same way, according to an investigation by the Long Beach Township Police Department, Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and Ocean County Sheriff's Office.

The Jeep Liberty did not stop to help Bogacz, Billhimer said. Instead, the driver, later found to be Madden, made a U-turn and accelerated past Bogacz, Billhimer said.

Bogacz was air-lifted to Atlantic City Medical Center, where he was treated for his injuries and later released, Billhimer said.

Madden was arrested at his Little Egg Harbor home the same day, where he was taken to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford for a court-authorized warrant blood draw before being taken to Ocean County Jail and later released due to bail reform, Billhimer said.

The blood draw revealed that Madden's blood alcohol concentration was .245 percent, over the legal limit of .08, Billhimer said.

Previously, on April 4, 2020, the manager of a convenience store on Mathistown Road in Little Egg Harbor witnessed Madden shoplifting and confronted him, Billhimer said. An off-duty New Jersey State Park police officer happened to be in the store and in uniform, so the manager asked him for assistance, Billhimer said.

The officer attempted to detain Madden, but Madden pushed him in an attempt to get away, Billhimer said. The officer was able to detain Madden until Little Egg Harbor police arrived, Billhimer said. Madden was then taken to Ocean County Jail and released as a consequence of bail reform, he said.