Bridgewater, NJ man found guilty for drive-by shooting of ex-lover

BRIDGEWATER — A jury has ruled that a township man attempted to kill the mother of his two children, and someone else, by firing shots into a moving vehicle.

Robert Smith, 38, was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of first-degree attempted murder and multiple firearm offenses in connection with the May 2018 incident that left the intended victims with minor injuries.

The sentencing date for Smith is set for Dec. 2. The Somerset County Prosecutor's Office noted that Smith had been convicted of drug offenses before the drive-by shooting.

Responding to multiple 911 calls about a motor vehicle collision and possible gunshots on Morgan Lane, Bridgewater police on May 4, 2018, found Smith on the ground outside the driver's door of a Nissan Rogue. The vehicle had crashed into a utility pole, and Smith suffered a fractured leg and displaced hip in the collision.

Nearby, about 100 feet into a set of trees, police discovered a Mazda CX7 that had flipped over onto its roof.

An investigation determined that both vehicles were speeding and collided with one another, and that Smith fired three gunshots into the driver-side of the Mazda in an apparent attempt to kill the two occupants, his former lover and a male.

A search of the Nissan Rogue uncovered a revolver with bullets and empty shell casings. Because of his prior drug conviction, Smith was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms in New Jersey.

Contact reporter Dino Flammia at dino.flammia@townsquaremedia.com.