Kevin Wells, 40, has been charged with homicide for allegedly operating a boat while intoxicated when it crashed into a channel marker near Toms River, killing a 26-year-old passenger and seriously injuring three others. The July 25 incident marks the third fatal boating accident this summer along the Jersey Shore involving alleged drunken operators.
Wells was arrested Friday and charged with vessel homicide, reckless vessel homicide, and two counts of assault by vessel while intoxicated or refusing a blood alcohol test, according to court records. He was operating a 32-foot Boston Whaler at the time of the crash. The vessel struck a channel marker around 10:45 a.m. on July 25, authorities said.
The victim, Michael T. Bereheiko, 26, a construction worker from Green Brook, was pronounced dead shortly after the crash. Two 27-year-old men were seriously injured, and a 24-year-old woman sustained injuries in the incident. First responders transported the victims to nearby hospitals after Wells brought the damaged boat to a Toms River residence.
Family members remembered Bereheiko as a former high school football player who enjoyed spending time at the Jersey Shore. His obituary noted his love for the shore, where he could relax and enjoy time with close friends and family.
Wells's arrest follows similar charges against two other boaters this summer. Jennifer Pearson, 59, was charged with homicide in the death of her son Gunnar Pearson, 28, following a Memorial Day boating crash. Stephen Schneider, 64, faces charges after his two grandchildren died in a boating collision on Barnegat Bay on July 19. Both Pearson and Schneider allegedly struck channel markers while operating their boats while intoxicated.