WAKING UP TO A DREAM : Once Comatose, Now a Homecoming Queen

She walked down the red carpet with more of a determined stride than a regal glide. And her shoes resembled white sneakers more than glass slippers.

But Amanda Arthur was very much the people’s princess Saturday night as she was crowned homecoming queen of Newport Harbor High School, to the cheers and tears of hundreds.

With a glowing smile and a firm wave, 18-year-old Arthur made her first public appearance since a May car accident that left her in a coma for months and killed a fellow classmate.

Arthur arrived at the homecoming football game in a classic black Thunderbird to the applause of friends, family, neighbors and others in the stands. Dressed in an ivory gown with matching gloves, she walked to the center of the field with the assistance of her stepfather, Alex Maese, and her father, Allan Arthur.

The walk was slow, but the crowd gave her a second standing ovation when she joined the rest of the homecoming court. More cheers erupted when, moments later, the popular choice for this year’s homecoming queen was announced.

Arthur responded to the applause by blowing kisses.

“I love you all,” she said in a soft voice later. “I love you all.”

Arthur did not address the crowd, but she did lead her fellow cheerleaders in a “We’re No. 1” chant. She left just as the second half of the football game was beginning.

“She didn’t want to leave,” said her mother, Chris Maese. “She wanted to stay here longer.”

Allan Arthur said his daughter was surprised and thrilled at being named homecoming queen.

“She said, ‘Dad, did I win?’ She was shocked and grateful,” he said.

Arthur was one of 10 students who jammed into a Chevrolet Blazer that overturned on a hillside road near Upper Newport Bay. The May 23 collision killed Donald Bridgman, 18, of Newport Beach. Arthur was critically injured after being thrown from the vehicle.

Felony vehicular manslaughter charges have been filed against Jason Rausch, 18, who was the designated driver because other passengers had been drinking alcohol. He has pleaded not guilty.

Arthur remained in a coma until August, when she awoke and uttered her first word to her mother: “Hi.” Over the last two months, she has learned how to walk again, first using a cane, then walking short distances on her own.

She remains at the Meridien Nuero Care Center in Santa Ana, but her family hopes she will return to Newport Beach as early as next week once her doctors give final approval. Once home, she will be tutored by a teacher in the Newport Mesa Unified School District.

Doctors describe her progress as remarkable and say that her recovery is months ahead of what they had predicted. But it is far from complete. Arthur continues to suffer from short-term memory loss, and her mother has had to explain to her daughter several times why she is in the hospital.

Still, Arthur’s struggle has become an inspiration to Newport Harbor High School and the surrounding community, which are rallying to her side.

About 3,000 people attended a concert by Bill Medley in July at the Newport Beach Country Club that raised money to pay Arthur’s medical bills. On prom night in June, dozens of students dressed in tuxedos and gowns went to her hospital to sign a giant get-well card.

In September, friends and family celebrated her 18th birthday at the hospital, complete with balloons, gifts, roses and a catered dinner.

The producers of Arthur’s favorite show, “Beverly Hills 90210,” provided a huge birthday cake as well as gifts. They also promised to give her a limousine ride to the set of the show when she recovers.