Man Faces Vehicular Homicide Charges for 2011 Navesink River Boat Crash

An area man has been indicted on vehicular homicide charges stemming from a fatal 2011 boating collision near the shores of Fair Haven on the Navesink River, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni announced.

George Harrington, 41, of Browns Dock Road, Middletown, is charged with one count of second-degree vehicular homicide in connection with the July 23, 2011 death of Christopher Plante, 50, of Keansburg, after a Boston Whaler and his Stingray boat crashed in the Navesink.

The accident occurred at 11:32 p.m. on the July 23 Saturday night, nearly two years ago, when a Boston Whaler, occupied by five people, crashed into a Stingray occupied by two — the driver, Plante, and a passenger, State Police Sgt. Brian Polite told Patch after the incident occurred.

“Everyone from the Boston Whaler was ejected as a result of the impact made when it collided with the Stingray,” Polite added. “However, everyone on that boat made it back aboard with minor injuries. The driver of the Stingray (Plante) never made it back on that boat, though. The other person on the Stingray was neither ejected nor injured.”

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the investigation revealed that Plante was "traveling at a slow speed in his vessel."

The investigation began immediately after Middletown police received a 9-1-1 at the time of the incident with the caller reporting that the two boats collided on the Navesink River between the Fair Haven and Middletown shores and someone from one of the boats was missing, a release from the Prosecutor's Office said. 

Local police, emergency medical personnel and water rescue teams, along with the United States Coast Guard and New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau were dispatched to the scene. A vessel from the Fair Haven Marine Rescue Unit also responded to the scene and located the two vessels, but could not find Plante.

Plante's body was recovered at 8:30 a.m. the next day, state police had told Patch. A local paddle boarder had found the body of the missing boater, later identified as Plante, in the river, according to the Prosecutor's Office.

Harrington was issued summonses for operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol, refusal to submit to chemical breath testing, failure to maintain a proper lookout, reckless operation of a vessel and for operating a vessel without a boating safety certificate, according to the release.

In response to the indictment, Harrington's attorney, Chris Adams, of Roseland, issued the following statement:

“Mr. Plante’s death was a tragic accident, but Mr. Harrington was not the cause of that accident. Mr. Harrington is a skilled boater and sailing instructor, and a trial will show that he obeyed all of the rules of navigation, including lighting and speed. The other vessel, tragically, did not.

“At trial, it will be clear that Mr. Harrington did not operate his boat recklessly and was not the cause of the accident. To the contrary, a trial will show that Mr. Harrington was under control at all times, vigilant and cautious on the water ..."

If convicted of vehicular homicide, Harrington is subject to a maximum sentence of 10 years in New Jersey State Prison and the provisions of the No Early Release Act (NERA), which requires that a defendant serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for parole.

Harrington’s bail was set at $150,000, with a 10 percent option. He was processed and released after posting bail.