Young motorcyclist lucky to be alive

Kern County Firefighter Bret Eckhard, left, and KCSO Deputy Josh Shotwell inspect the remains of Johnny Stephens’ motorcycle Saturday afternoon at the bottom of Bodfish Canyon.

Cathy Perfect
Kern Valley Sun

“We don’t know exactly how fast he was going,” said CHP Patrolman Ray. “He passed me on Hwy. 178 at over 100 miles an hour.”

John Kyle Stevens, 18, a Kern Valley High School student and member of the wrestling team, was arrested Saturday afternoon for allegedly evading a police officer and reckless driving.

According to Ray, Stephens’ high-speed odyssey came to an end after he sped through the neighborhood, onto the dirt and then came out at the site of the crash.

At the point of impact, Stephens reportedly flew threw the air “as high as the power lines” and landed in a ditch.

“You can see his back tire is as bald as can be,” said Ray. “I’m not exactly sure what he hit. He ran to the ditch and stripped his helmet off and ran to hide.”

Ray added, “As far as the firefighters and the ambulance people say, he’s doing alright, just banged up a little bit, luckily.”

Stephens was arrested and transported to Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield for treatment. He was admitted to the hospital as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, which were described as minor.

Stephens was not available for comment, while online Superior Court records show no action pending at presstime.