South OC Father Of 5 In Coma Following Hit-and-Run

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — A San Juan Capistrano father of five suffered a severe brain injury after being struck by a hit-and-run driver Sunday night while riding his bike in Laguna Niguel.

There were no witnesses to the accident that happened at about 8:56 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, said Orange County Sheriff’s Department Lt. Nathan Wilson. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the crash to come forward.

According to several fundraising sites, Steve Schenkenberger was riding his bike along Niguel Road and Ridgeway Avenue when he was struck. Passersby found him and called for help. Schenkenberger was rushed to Mission Hospital and underwent surgery to reduce swelling in his brain and is in a coma, according to a Plumfund page created to help his family cover the medical bills.

Schenkenberger is the sole provider for his family, which includes five sons ranging in age from 9 to 3 months old, according to the fundraising page.

As of Tuesday night, more than $28,000 had been raised toward the $100,000 fundraising goal.

Police are continuing to investigate the accident, and ongoing analysis from the crime scene may help detectives to piece together a vehicle description.

Among those who came to Schenkenberger’s aid as he lay in the street was a passing paramedic and his wife and children. His wife, the author of the “They Call Me Mom” blog, described the gut-wrenching moments as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

“I kept thinking, 'this is someone’s son. His mother has no idea that he is lying in the street right now and that her life has been forever changed, either by his death or by helping him live with a traumatic brain injury,'” she wrote on her blog. “'What if this were my son and I couldn’t be with him? What would I want for him? I’d want for him not to be alone. I’d want for him not to be afraid.' I knelt down near his head and I spoke to him. I told him that we are getting help for him, that the ambulance would be here any second, that he’s going to be okay, that he’s not alone.”

Anyone with information about the hit-and-run crash can send tips to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-847-6227.