Grandfather's Blood Alcohol Was Double Limit In Fatal Crash, Affidavit Says

BERKELEY, NJ — The grandfather of two children who were killed in a July boating crash on Barnegat Bay had a blood alcohol concentration that was double the legal limit hours after the fatal crash, according to court documents.

Stephen C. Schneider, 64, of Bayville, has been charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide in the crash that happened about 9 p.m. on July 19 near MJ's Restaurant in Bayville, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case. He was arrested Friday.

Schneider, who had been in the Ocean County Jail, was released Wednesday to await trial following a detention hearing, jail records show.

Schneider was charged with two counts of reckless vessel homicide after a laboratory testing on a court-ordered draw of his blood at 12:46 a.m. on July 16 showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16 percent, according to the affidavit.

He had told state police he had two Guinnesses and a Miller Lite in about two hours while at dinner with his wife, his grandchildren, 9-year-old Mya Golabek and 7-year-old Sigmund Golabek, and the children's parents, according to the affidavit.

A blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or above is considered legally impaired for vehicle operation in New Jersey.

"Doctors Cohn and Coyer of DrugScan Labs concluded that Schneider was unfit to operate a motor vehicle and that his alertness, sense of care and caution, perception, judgment, response time and coordination were markedly impaired by alcohol," the affidavit said.

Schneider told state police he and his wife had taken their boat, a 28-foot Tidewater center console, to MJ's where they met up with their grandchildren and the children's parents, who also went to MJ's by boat, the affidavit said.

After dinner, the children said they wanted to go to the Schneiders' home, not far from MJ's, he said. They were sitting in the front of the boat and were wearing lifejackets, Schneider said.

Schneider said he was driving about 20 mph when he saw Intracoastal Waterway Channel marker No. 39 at the last second and hit it with the starboard bow of his vessel.

The marker "is a single-stanchion illuminated navigational aid," the affidavit said.

The impact threw the children overboard, and Schneider told police he immediately started searching for them, finding Sigmund first and then Mya. Both children were face-down in the water and unresponsive, he said, and CPR was started immediately.

The children were taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, with CPR in progress, the affidavit said.

Schneider told state police he has been on boats and the water his whole life and had traveled the route numerous times, according to the affidavit. He also said his radar and infrared/low-light camera (both utilized as navigational aids in the dark) were activated, the affidavit said.

Neither Schneider or his wife were injured, according to the affidavit.

State troopers said Schneider displayed signs of impairment and he was taken to Community Medical Center as well, where a sample of his blood was taken under a search warrant, the affidavit said.

Previous reporting:

NJ Grandfather Was Drunk During NJ Boat Crash That Killed Grandkids, Records Show

Support Surges For Family After Fatal Barnegat Bay Boating Crash

2 Children Killed In Jersey Shore Boat Crash