Youth football player, coach killed in motorcycle crash near sports complex in Vineland, New Jersey
VINELAND, N.J. (CBS) -- A 9-year-old boy and a 31-year-old man were killed in a crash Thursday evening near the entrance to a sports complex in Cumberland County in New Jersey, according to police.
The deadly crash happened just before 6 p.m. in the area of Maple Avenue and Becker Drive near the entrance to the Joseph E. Romano Sports Complex, Vineland Police Department announced in a news release Friday.
According to police, Addiel Ortiz, 31, of Millville, was driving the motorcycle eastbound on Maple Avenue when it struck a Chevrolet Traverse, traveling west on Maple, trying to make a left turn into the sports complex's entrance.
Police said due to the impact of the crash, both Ortiz and the 9-year-old boy, who was in the backseat of the Chevy, were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chevy, Lauren Beisler, 42, of Ocean View, New Jersey, wasn't injured in the crash, according to police.
A post shared in the Cape Atlantic Jr. Football League early Friday morning paid tribute to Ortiz and the 9-year-old boy, who were a part of the youth football community.
The post was shared by the president of the Cape Atlantic Jr. Football League, Sammy Caraballo.
"It is with great sadness and with Extremely Heavy hearts that the CAJFL is announcing the passing of (2) members of our Youth Football community.
In a tragic accident, the life of a Vineland Blitz youth football coach, as well as an Upper Township Youth Football player were lost last evening.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of both and to there respective organizations, Administrators, Coaches, Cheer and Football alike, as well as all of the behind the scenes volunteers that will be affected by this horrific loss.
We stand by you…
We support you..
We grieve with you..
May your souls rest in peace.
#23 #CoachAddi"
A GoFundMe was created Thursday night to help the Ortiz family after the 31-year-old father was killed in the crash.
A description on the donation page describes Oritz as a community man who spent his time working as a youth football coach for the Vineland Blitz for four years.
Gandalf Sollenberger, who's on the board of the Vineland Blitz, said Ortiz was a beloved coach for the team and the father of four children.
"He was a great guy," Sollenberger said. "Always giving."
The Upper Township Indians identified the 9-year-old by his jersey number, 23.
In a statement, the team described him as,"a bright and talented peewee player who touched the hearts of everyone around him."
The GoFundMe description for Ortiz's family added that the 31-year-old worked as a state correctional police officer at Southern State Correctional Facility and Bayside State Prison for over 10 years.
"We are deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Senior Correctional Police Officer Addiel Ortiz, who dedicated 10 years of service to the State of New Jersey, most recently at Bayside State Prison," Patrick Lombardi, New Jersey Department of Corrections Deputy Director of Communications, said. "Our hearts go out to his children and family and to the loved ones of the young boy who also lost his life in this accident. We offer our condolences and deepest sympathies to all who are grieving these heartbreaking losses."
At a memorial set up outside Romano Park, Elyssa Smith laid down flowers.
She said she saw the aftermath of the crash.
"I just felt I needed to come and pay my respects," Smith said. "It's, you know, shaken me to my core."
Dan Sinclair is a former Upper Township football coach who runs the youth mentorship group, Outta Boundz.
He came to the crash site to say a prayer.
"This is like losing a family member. It hurts. It hurts," Sinclair said. "I just hope we all get out of it and that we're one family. It's all I want. I know we're separated by the uniform colors, but that doesn't matter at the end of the day, as we see. At the end of the day, we're all one."
No charges have been filed at this time, police said.
Anyone with information related to this crash is asked to contact police at 856-691-4111, extension 4698. Police said tipsters can refer to the investigation as Case #24-38695.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article stated that the child was a passenger on the motorcycle. The child was a passenger in the SUV.
