For the second time in 10 days, a crash involving an off-road vehicle claimed the life of a Northeast man last Thursday, an accident that occurred while the victim was driving illegally in a public right-of-way, according to police.
Police identified the motorist as Steven Wolfenden, 38, of the 6500 block of Algard St. in Tacony. He was operating a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle at a high rate of speed northbound in the common driveway behind his home at about 10:51 a.m. when he reached the end of the block and tried to turn right onto Magee Avenue, police said. Wolfenden lost control of his vehicle and struck a fence in the driveway behind the 6600 block of Algard St. The motorist was ejected from the ATV, which flipped and landed on top of him.
Wolfenden suffered head injuries and was taken to Aria Health’s Frankford Campus in critical condition. He was pronounced dead there at 1:55 p.m.
On March 23, James Ortiz, 19, of the 4300 block of Cottman Ave., died after he drove a motorized dirt bike from a sidewalk onto the 7200 block of Hawthorne St. into the path of an oncoming Chevy Tahoe. Ortiz suffered fatal injuries in the crash, while his 19-year-old woman passenger was injured critically.
On Saturday, a 15-year-old boy was critically injured when his four-wheel ATV collided with a second ATV near 58th Street and Cobbs Creek Parkway in West Philly. ull;•
