VINELAND, N.J. (CBS) – A 9-year-old boy and a 31-year-old man were killed in a crash Thursday night near the entrance to a sports complex in Cumberland County, New Jersey, police said.
The Vineland Police Department said in a news release Friday that the fatal crash happened just before 6 p.m. at the intersection of Maple Avenue and Becker Drive, near the entrance to the Joseph E. Romano Sports Complex.
Police said the suspect, Adiel Ortiz, 31, of Millville, was driving a motorcycle eastbound on Maple Avenue when he struck a Chevrolet Traverse that was heading westbound on Maple Street as it attempted to turn left into the entrance to the sports complex.
Both Ortiz and a 9-year-old boy who was in the back seat of the Chevrolet were pronounced dead at the scene due to the impact of the crash, police said. The driver of the Chevrolet, Lauren Beisler, 42, of Ocean View, New Jersey, was not injured in the crash, police said.
A post shared by the Cape Atlantic Junior Football League early Friday morning paid tribute to Ortiz and the 9-year-old boy who was part of the youth football community.
The post was shared by Cape Atlantic Junior Football League president Sammy Caraballo.
“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that the CAJFL announces the passing of two members of our youth football community.
A tragic accident last night claimed the lives of a Vineland Blitz youth football coach and an Upper Township youth football player.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to both families, their respective organizations, administrators, coaches, cheerleading and football, and all of the behind-the-scenes volunteers who are affected by this tragic loss.
We support you…
We are rooting for you.
We grieve with you.
May your souls rest in peace.
#23 #CoachAddy”
A GoFundMe was set up Thursday night to help the Ortiz family after the 31-year-old father was killed in the accident.
According to the donation page description, Orlitz was a local resident who worked as a youth football coach for the Vineland Blitz for four years.
Gandalf Sollenberger, a Vineland Blitz board member, said Ortiz was a beloved coach and father of four children.
“He was a great guy,” Sollenberger said, “always giving.”
The Upper Township Indians identified the 9-year-old boy by his uniform number, 23.
In a statement, the team described him as “a bright and talented peewee player who inspired those around him.”
Ortiz’s family’s account on GoFundMe adds that Ortiz, 31, worked as a state correctional police officer at Southern State Correctional Institution and Bayside State Prison for more than 10 years.
“We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of Senior Correctional Police Officer Adiel Ortiz, who served the State of New Jersey for 10 years, most recently at Bayside State Prison,” said Patrick Lombardi, deputy director of public affairs for the New Jersey Department of Corrections. “Our hearts go out to his children and family, as well as the loved ones of the young boy who lost his life in this accident. Our condolences and deepest sympathies go out to all who are grieving this heartbreaking loss.”
Elissa Smith laid flowers at a memorial outside Romano Park.
She said she saw the aftermath of the accident.
“I just felt I needed to come out and pay my respects,” Smith said. “It just shook me to my core.”
Dan Sinclair is a former Upper Township football coach who runs the youth mentoring group Outta Boundz.
He came to the crash site to offer prayers.
“This is like losing a family member. It’s really hard,” Sinclair said. “I just hope that we can all come out of this as one family. That’s my hope. I know we’re divided by the color of our uniforms, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, we’re all one.”
Police say no charges have been filed at this time.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact police at 856-691-4111, extension 4698. Police say tipsters can refer this investigation to case number 24-38695.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story said the child was a passenger on a motorcycle. The child was a passenger in an SUV.