Newport officer in critical condition after bike accident

Deepa Bharath

A 31-year-old off-duty police officer remains in a medically induced

coma after he was seriously injured in a bicycle accident in Irvine

last month, officials said.

Officer John Stebbins is in critical, but stable condition in the

intensive care unit at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, Newport

Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman said. Stebbins suffered a head injury

after he collided with a car at the intersection of Culver Drive and

Walnut Avenue the morning of June 28.

“We don’t know exactly how the accident took place,” Shulman said.

“The driver of the vehicle was making a left turn and ended up

colliding with the officer who was on the bicycle.”

He said it is not known whose fault the accident was and that an

investigation is still going on. No one was cited, he added.

Stebbins had been hired not long before from the Cincinnati Police

Department. He was attending the Orange County Sheriff’s police

academy because, although he had years of experience as a police

officer in Ohio, he had to satisfy certain other requirements,

Shulman said.

“He was just three months into police academy,” he said.

Stebbins is considered to be a “world-class bicyclist,” Shulman

said.

“But he wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of the accident,” he

said.

His friend, Dave Stewart, who is also an investigator with the

Orange County district attorney, was riding with Stebbins when the

accident happened.

“It was just unlucky because the car just pulled out in front of

him and there was nothing much he could do,” he said. “It was a bad

accident.”

Stewart said he met Stebbins more than two years ago while they

were racing bicycles in Florida.

“There aren’t enough words to describe him,” he said. “He is a

wonderful man and a good police officer.”

Those interested in helping Stebbins are asked to mail their

contributions to the Newport Beach Police Assn. John Stebbins Fund,

870 Santa Barbara Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660. For information,

call (949) 644-3662.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.