Newport Officer Still in a Coma

Friends and family continued to hold a vigil Thursday for a Newport Beach police officer who has been in a coma since being struck by a car last month while riding his bicycle.

John Stebbens, 33, a serious cycling enthusiast who was hired by the department three months ago after working as a police officer in Cincinnati, was not wearing a helmet, Newport Beach police reported.

“I really wish he had been wearing a helmet that day,” said Dave Stewart, a friend and fellow cycling enthusiast who was riding with Stebbens at the time of the collision. The accident occurred June 28 near the intersection of Culver Drive and Walnut Avenue in Irvine, police said.

“A vehicle just turned left in front of him,” Stewart said.

The accident is being investigated by Irvine police.

Stebbens was taken to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, where he remains in serious condition, police reported.

The extent of Stebbens’ neurological injuries and the prognosis for his recovery are unknown, Newport Beach police spokesman Lt. John Klein said.

Soon after the accident, Stebbens’ parents, John and Patty Stebbens, arrived from Marion, Ind., to wait by his bedside, Klein said.

“John would want people to learn from his unfortunate accident,” they said in a statement released by police, “and he would encourage people to wear their helmets while riding, even though he wasn’t wearing one at the time.”

Stewart visits his friend every day. “I give him encouragement and tell him to hang in there,” he said. He said he sees small improvement and waits for the day when he can ride with his friend again.

“I think he will be back on a bike as soon as possible.”