Ommatt Cruz.Photo:Go Fund Me
Go Fund Me
The teen, identified as Ommatt Cruz, was “acting as a guide to assist with traffic control for the lift,” and when “the lift entered the intersection,” it “struck and knocked down” the teen before running him over, police said.
Police did not immediately confirm the identity of the forklift driver to PEOPLE but said the operator remained at the scene, and there were no arrests.
Ommatt had been part of his Staten Island high school’s varsity football team and even continued his involvement with the program after graduating this past year, Susan E. Wagner High Schoolsaid on Instagram Sunday.
“In light of this terrible tragedy, please keep Ommatt’s family and the Wagner High School community in your thoughts,” the post continued. Additionally the school said it is offering counseling support throughout the week.
“He was a really good kid. A hard worker and player. Everybody loved him,” Wagner football head coach Arthur Newcombe told theStaten Island Advance. “He has a brother on the team and he’d come help us out and just be around the team. We’re just kind of in shock.”
In aGoFundMe campaignlaunched for any “unexpected expenses,” the 19-year-old is also described as “a loving and adoring son to his parents” and “a dedicated and loving brother to his 14 year old brother and 9 year old sister.”
He turned 19 just three months before the “tragic accident,” the organizer wrote.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“To our boys on the Wagner Falcons Football Team, he was a brother,” read a message on the page, which has raised over $18,000 as of Monday morning.
“To the parents and coaches, his family is our family. He was always there to help others, he was selfless,” the message continued. “He was in his first year of college, and would still find time to come out on the field and help out with his younger brother on the JV team. We would like to help his family with unexpected expenses due to this horrific tragedy.”
source: people.com
