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COSTA MESA, Calif. (KTLA) — A Costa Mesa fire captain who was struck and critically injured in a crash involving a suspected DUI driver while cycling over the weekend has died, officials announced Monday.
Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue Capt. Mike Kreza with was riding a bicycle shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday on Alicia Parkway near Via Burgos in Mission Viejo when he was struck by the driver of a van.
Kreza, who was training for a triathlon, suffered apparent trauma to the head and body and was rushed to a hospital. He remained in critical condition until he died Monday morning. The captain, an 18-year veteran with fire department, was off-duty at the time.
“Words alone cannot describe the immeasurable heartache felt by his friends & family, including his fire family,” the fire department said in a statement on Twitter announcing Kreza’s death.
“RIP brother Mike, we love you!” the statement read.
The driver of the van, Stephen Taylor Scarpa, 25, remained at the scene, where an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy evaluated him for DUI. Scarpa, appeared to be under the influence of a controlled substance at the time of the crash, and officials also found multiple prescription medications inside his vehicle, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Scarpa was arrested and booked into jail on $100,000 bail.
Kreza is survived by his wife and three daughters.
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