Youth football player and coach killed in motorcycle crash near sports complex in Vineland, New Jersey

VINELAND, NJ (CBS) – A 9-year-old boy and a 31-year-old man were killed in a crash near the entrance to a sports complex in Cumberland County, New Jersey, Thursday night, police said.

The fatal accident occurred shortly 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 said in a news release Friday.

According to police, 31-year-old Addiel Ortiz of Millville was riding the motorcycle eastbound on Maple Avenue when it collided with a Chevrolet Traverse that was traveling westbound on Maple Avenue and attempting to turn left into the driveway of the sports complex.

Police said that due to the force of the impact, both Ortiz and the 9-year-old boy who was in the back seat of the Chevy were pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Chevy, Lauren Beisler, 42, of Ocean View, New Jersey, was not injured in the crash, according to police.

A post shared early Friday morning on the Cape Atlantic Jr. Football League paid tribute to Ortiz and the 9-year-old boy who were part of the youth football community.

The post was shared by Cape Atlantic Jr. Football League President Sammy Caraballo.

“It is with great sadness and an extremely heavy heart that the CAJFL announces the passing of (2) members of our youth soccer community.

A Vineland Blitz youth soccer coach and an Upper Township youth soccer player were killed in a tragic accident last night.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of both and their respective organizations, administrators, coaches, cheerleaders and football players, as well as all the behind-the-scenes volunteers affected by this terrible loss.

We are at your side…

We support you.

We mourn with you.

May your souls rest in peace.

#23 #CoachAddi”

A GoFundMe campaign was launched late Thursday night to help the Ortiz family after their 31-year-old father died in the crash.

A description on the fundraising page describes Oritz as a community man who worked as a youth soccer coach for the Vineland Blitz for four years.

The description also stated that Ortiz worked as a correctional officer at the Southern State Correctional Facility and Bayside State Prison for over ten years.

He leaves behind a fiancée and four children.

According to police, no charges have been filed so far.

Anyone with information about this accident is asked to contact police at 856-691-4111, extension 4698. Police said tipsters can refer to the investigation as case number 24-38695.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article stated that the child was a passenger on the motorcycle. The child was a passenger in the SUV.