LONG BEACH TOWNSHIP – A Little Egg Harbor man has pled guilty to several charges after driving into a bicyclist and then leaving the scene of the crime.
John Madden, 41, of Little Egg Harbor pled guilty to Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Accident Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol for an incident when he hit a bicyclist on April 8, 2020 on Long Beach Boulevard.
The victim, Daniel Bogacz, 63, of Beach Haven, was riding his bicycle in the same direction on Long Beach Boulevard. After Madden’s 2020 Jeep Liberty struck Bogacz, Madden did not stop to help, but instead made a u-turn and drove past the injured victim.
Bogacz was air-lifted to Atlantic City Medical Center where he was treated for his injuries and later released.
On April 8, 2020, Madden was arrested at his home in Little Egg Harbor without incident and was brought to Southern Ocean Medical Center in Stafford Township for blood testing. Laboratory results confirmed that Madden’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) was .245 percent, which is over the state legal limit of .08.
On April 4, 2020, Madden was found allegedly shoplifting at a convenience store on Mathistown Road in Little Egg. The manager of the store asked an off-duty New Jersey State Park Police Officer, who happened to be at the convenience store and was in uniform at the time, for assistance. When the off-duty officer attempted to detain Madden, he pushed the officer in an attempt to get away.
He pled guilty to Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer for that incident.
Madden faces a term of three years in New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) with respect to the Knowingly Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Accident charge, and 18 months NJSP as to the charge of Aggravated Assault on a Law Enforcement Officer.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledged the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Long Beach Township Police Department, Harvey Cedars Police Department, Surf City Police Department, Little Egg Harbor Police Department, Ship Bottom Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, for their efforts and assistance in connection with these investigations leading to Madden’s apprehension, guilty pleas, and soon his state prison sentence.
