Teen who died in ATV crash was not allowed to be on road
Teen who died in ATV crash was not allowed to be on road
By JULIET FLETCHER Staff Writer, (856) 237-9020
Published: Wednesday, September 5, 2007
BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP – On a secluded stretch of road south of Milmay, which swerves sharply to the left, a trail of stuttering skidmarks is all that shows where Matthew Abdilla left the road Monday evening.But at 16 years old and driving an all-terrain vehicle, State Police said Tuesday, Abdilla should have been nowhere near a roadway.The boy, who lived on Broad Street, spent the later part of Labor Day riding a Honda motorized buggy through the wooded area. He was on Ninth Avenue, just before the junction with Cumberland Avenue, in Estell Manor, when police say he lost control of the vehicle as the road curved.
Police say he bounced over uneven ground, over tree stumps and branches, was thrown from his seat and hit a tree.
Initial reports said the ATV rolled on top of the boy.
The exact time and cause of the accident is not yet known. Abdilla was found lying under the vehicle at 6:26 p.m. and may have been there for some time. He was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Mainland Campus, in Galloway Township, where he died of severe head and chest injuries at about 7:30 p.m.