NEW JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — A South Jersey youth football coach and a 9-year-old player were killed in a car crash in Vineland early Thursday night.
Investigators say it was around 6 p.m. when 31-year-old Addiel Ortiz was leaving the Romano Sports Complex on Maple Avenue on his motorcycle.
At the same time, an SUV with 9-year-old Easton Beisler and his mom inside was trying to turn into the complex. Both vehicles collided, killing Ortiz and Beisler.
Ortiz was a father of four, husband, correctional officer and coach of the Vineland Blitz. Beisler, player #23 for the Upper Township Indians, was described on a GoFundMe as “a bright and talented peewee player who touched the hearts of everyone around him.”
Gandalf Sullenberger saw the crash and told our newsgathering partners at NBC10 the sun glare blocks visibility at that intersection.
All weekend games scheduled between the Vineland Blitz and Upper Township Indians have been canceled.
GoFundMe pages have been set up for both Ortiz and Beisler’s families. According to NBC10, red and black balloons as well as flowers have been placed near the scene of the crash.