Police reported that a Mays Landing man operating an ATV with three passengers was intoxicated at the time of the crash.
Leon Cassel, 62, traveled north on Columbia Road shortly before 3 a.m. on Saturday when his vehicle collided with a tree that had fallen across the roadway just north of Oak Street.
The report indicated that none of the riders wore helmets; all four occupants were ejected from the Honda FourTrax 4×4.
Shelley Cassel, 56, and Alaina Huepfel, 37, both residents of Mays Landing, were transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s City Campus in Atlantic City, where Huepfel died the following day.
The driver and the third passenger, 36‑year‑old Brian Beals of Egg Harbor City, sustained no injuries.
Authorities charged Leon Cassel with driving under the influence, reckless driving, careless driving, operating an unregistered vehicle, and failing to maintain liability insurance.
No additional criminal charges have been filed at this time.
Investigators continue to examine the incident.
The Township of Hamilton Rescue Squad, AtlantiCare Paramedics, and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office responded to and assisted at the scene.
Huepfel had been an organ donor; her donation saved four lives, and her tissue will assist burn victims, her mother stated in a Facebook post.