Two South Jersey football communities are grieving after a devastating crash on Thursday evening that took the lives of a youth football coach and a 9-year-old player. The crash occurred just before 6 p.m. outside the Joseph E. Romano Sports Complex in Vineland, where the Vineland Blitz football team was hosting the Upper Township Indians.
Police report that 31-year-old Addiel A. Ortiz, a football coach from Millville, was riding his motorcycle eastbound on Maple Avenue when he collided with a Chevy Traverse. Tragically, Ortiz and a 9-year-old boy inside the Traverse, identified as Easton Beisler, were both pronounced dead at the scene. The boy’s mother, Lauren Beisler, who was driving the vehicle, was unharmed.
The Cape-Atlantic Junior Football League confirmed the heartbreaking loss, identifying Ortiz as a Vineland Blitz coach and Easton as a player for the Upper Township Indians. In a statement shared with Action News, the Upper Township Indians expressed their sorrow: “Our organization and community is grieving the loss of #23, a bright and talented peewee player who touched the hearts of everyone around him. It is with deep sadness that we announce the cancellation of all Upper Township games this weekend.”
A GoFundMe page created for Easton’s family has already raised more than $70,000 since it was launched on Friday. Easton, a 4th grader at Upper Township Primary School, is remembered as a bright young boy with a promising future. Grief counselors were on hand at his school on Friday to help students and staff cope with the loss. “Our hearts are heavy as we remember a young life taken too soon, and our deepest sympathies and thoughts are with the family during this incredibly difficult time,” the school district shared in a statement.
Ortiz, known to his players as “Coach Addi,” had been a youth football coach for nearly five years and worked as a state correctional police officer. “He served as a state correction police officer for over 10 years at Southern State Correctional Facility and Bayside State Prison. Addiel leaves behind his fiancé, Destiny, and their 4 children,” read a description on his memorial page.
Both the Vineland Blitz and Upper Township Indians have canceled all sporting events for the weekend as the communities come together to mourn this tragic loss. A vigil will be held for Easton at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Caldwell Park.