Belford teen, killed by Great Adventure accident, will be laid to rest

JACKSON — A Six Flags Great Adventure employee fatally struck by a boom truck on the park grounds will be laid to rest on Friday.

Justin Dill, 19, of Belford, was a recent graduate of Middletown North High School and the electrical program at Monmouth County Vocational School. According to his obituary, he was an apprentice with the electrician's union at Six Flags.

Jackson police confirmed his identity Thursday morning.

Joe Diver, principal of the Academy of Law and Public Safety in the Monmouth County Vocational School District said Dill graduated from the electrical program in 2016.

"The staff in the last day or two has been reminiscing about his contributions as a team player and a conscientious learner in our program and what a wonderful disposition he brought to school each and every day when he was in our program. Certainly our condolences and thoughts and prayers are with his family right now," Diver said.

Dr. Patricia Vari-Cartier, principal at Middletown High School North said Dill "was well-liked by the staff and students at HS North. He particularly enjoyed his Culinary Arts class and was very creative in the kitchen. Justin possessed a good sense of humor and was always polite and respectful. He was very serious about his studies in the Vocational Program for electricity. He was an 'all-around' nice student and will be fondly remembered by the HS North community."

His wake is scheduled for Thursday at the Evergreen Memorial Funeral located on Route 35 in Middletown. His funeral is Friday at the Church of Saint Catherine Laboure.

A GoFundMe page was created to  help with funeral expenses.

According to his obituary, he was a Boy Scout and enjoyed camping, fishing, mountain biking, playing video games and animals.

Dill was struck while stringing lights in the park's fountain area last Friday, according to Jackson Police. He was hospitalized and taken off life support over the weekend.

In a statement, Six Flags spokeswoman Kristin Siebeneicher said “we are deeply saddened by our colleague’s passing and our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. The foundation of our company and the industry is safety, and we are conducting a comprehensive investigation into this incident."

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com.

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