Fiery NJ Crash Kills 3, Trooper Saves Boy

[Ken [NY]]

Fiery NJ Crash Kills 3, Trooper Saves Boy

Sayreville, NJ - 8/14/2001

Asbury Park Press
By CHANDRA M. HAYSLETT
TOMS RIVER BUREAU

A fiery, head-on collision on the Garden State Parkway killed four
people, including a Brick couple and the wife's sister, and left two
in critical condition.

Emergency vehicles respond to the scene of a collision early Sunday
morning on the Garden State Parkway.
Andres Ballena, 59, and his wife Soledad Ballena, 54, of Brick were
pronounced dead at the scene, along with Soledad Ballena's sister
Angelica Alvarado, also of Brick, age not available. Jesus Beliz, 10,
of Brick, a nephew of Soledad Ballena, was listed in critical
condition last night at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New
Brunswick.

Trooper John Quinlan of the Holmdel barracks is credited with saving
the boy's life by pulling him from the burning wreckage.

Eric Matatov, 29, of Fresh Meadows, N.Y., was also killed in the
accident. Edward Rubinoff, 28, of Forest Hills, N.Y., a passenger in
Matatov's car, is listed in critical condition at University Hospital
in Newark, said Sgt. Mark Ridge of the State Police Holmdel barracks.

Ballena was driving a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo southbound on
the parkway when he was hit head on by Matatov, who was driving a 2001
Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Ridge said. The accident happened at mile
marker 125 at about 3:30 a.m. in Sayreville.

Quinlan was first to arrive at the scene. He found both sport-utility
vehicles on fire. He broke the rear passenger side window of Ballena's
Jeep with a flashlight and pulled out Alvarado. He then broke the rear
driver's side window and pulled out Beliz, Ridge said.

"The boy's foot was pinned under the driver's seat," Ridge said. "He
had to make four or five attempts to get that child out of the car.
His effort was extraordinary. The Jeep was fully engulfed and he just
kept going back until he got the boy out of the car. He saved that
boy's life."

"A witness behind the Jeep said he saw the Jeep brake for no apparent
reason. Then he saw saw on-coming headlights cross the median," Ridge
said last night. The vehicles spun around at contact.

Ridge described the crash as "high impact."

"The collision was severe," he said. "It caused components of the
vehicles to separate over the road."

The remaining victims had to be removed from the vehicles with the
Jaws of Life, Ridge said. The drivers and passengers of both vehicles
were wearing seat belts.

The Brick relatives were heading home from a family reunion in
Connecticut, Ridge said. State police said Matatov and Rubinoff were
returning from a trip to Atlantic City.

Fatigue may have been a factor, Ridge said. Evidence indicates
Matatov's vehicle was traveling between 80 to 100 mph, he said.

"You have to take into consideration the time of night, where they
were coming from and how they spent the last eight to 10 hours," Ridge
said of Matatov.

The road was damp at the time of the accident, Ridge said, and the
ground fog was so heavy that a helicopter to take the victims to the
hospital could not land.

Staff Sgt. Michael Popek of the Holmdel barracks noted that there is a
concrete barrier between the northbound and southbound parkway lanes
"the whole way except right where they crossed."

"This was a hellacious impact," Popek said. "We have troopers here
with 15 years' experience who haven't seen carnage like this."

The Ballenas and Alvarado were pronounced dead at the scene. They died
from blunt force trauma, Ridge said. Matatov died on the way to Robert
Wood Johnson. His cause of death is also blunt force trauma, state
police said.

Beliz received head and internal injuries and Rubinoff received
internal injuries, Ridge said.

Relatives gathered yesterday at the Ballenas' home on Bay Harbor
Boulevard declined to comment. Neighbors said they family was
well-liked.

"They were very nice people," said Ann Rizzolo, who lives across the
street from the Ballenas. "He would help me shovel the snow when my
husband was away."

"I know if we had a problem, they'd help," said Ed Rizzolo, Ann
Rizzolo's husband. "They were hard-working people."

The Rizzolos said the Ballenas lived on Bay Harbor Boulevard about
five or six years.

Annette Douglas, another Bay Harbor Boulevard resident, described the
Ballenas as "nice people" who had family over a lot.

Popek noted that there is a concrete barrier between the northbound
and southbound parkway lanes "the whole way except right where they
crossed."

"This was a hellacious impact," Popek said. "We have troopers here
with 15 years' experience who haven't seen carnage like this."

Trooper Thomas DeMeo of the Holmdel barracks is leading the
investigation.

Ken (NY)
--
Chairperson,
Department of Redundancy Department
____________________________________

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