No change was reported Monday in the condition of a Costa Mesa fire captain left critically injured and unresponsive after he was struck by a drug-influenced motorist while riding his bicycle, authorities said.
“The next several hours are critical,’ the Costa Mesa Fire Department reported Saturday. “Captain (Mike) Kreza is surrounded by his family and friends, including his fire family.”
The driver, Stephen Taylor Scarpa, 25, of Mission Viejo, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.
The crash was reported just after 8 a.m. Saturday on eastbound Alicia Parkway near Via Burgos, Orange County sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.
Kreza, off duty, was riding his bicycle and was hit by Scarpa’s van. Multiple prescription medications were found inside his van, Braun said.
Scarpa was evaluated for possible DUI at the scene and subsequently arrested on suspicion of felony DUI, Braun said. He was booked into the Orange County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Kreza, an 18-year veteran of the department, is hospitalized in Mission Viejo.
“We are eternally grateful for the outpouring of support from our brothers and sisters from fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and the collective communities throughout the state,’ the Costa Mesa Fire Department said.
Anyone with information on the crash was asked be deputies to call the Orange County Sheriff’s Department at (714) 647-7000 or Crime Stoppers at (855) TIP-OCCS.