Girl hit on bike dies in hospital

Ed Koch and Mary Manning

Thursday, May 20, 2004 | 10:57 a.m.

Justyne Steffee wanted to be a dancer and earn a college degree just like her mother and grandmother.

Her mom, Nicole Steffee. a ballerina with the Las Vegas Dance Theatre, and her grandmother, Shirley Steffee, who performed on Broadway, are both psychologists. But Justyne wanted to go into veterinary medicine. She loved taking care of her cat, Zero, even though she was allergic to him, her family said.

Two years ago, Justyne stood backstage, awestruck, as she watched Nicole perform at the Flamingo Library Theatre in Swan Lake. The girl recently got her own chance in the spotlight as a dancing rooster in The Red House at Elizabeth Wilhelm Elementary School, where she was a third grader.

She loved the color purple, spoke Spanish and English and recently started learning to speak Greek.

But a speeding car two weeks ago knocked Justyne from her bicycle as she headed toward her North Las Vegas home. In a coma and in critical condition, she never recovered to fulfill her destiny of performing on bigger stages and saving the lives of animals.

Justyne Steffee was declared brain dead Wednesday at the University Medical Center. She was 8 years old. The Clark County coroner's office will determine the official cause of her death.

Justyne's heart last night was removed and taken to an undisclosed location for a transplant to save the life of a 3-year-old boy. Her liver was flown to California to save a critically ill 6-year-old boy, her family said.

"She was very opinionated, very strong willed and very athletic -- running sprints in track, swimming, roller skating and, of course, the ballet," said Nicole Steffee, who recently received her psychology degree on line.

"I have solace knowing that two other families will have children coming home from hospitals because Justyne got the chance to help them. How frightening it must have been for them to have no available heart or liver and only a small hope that someone could help them."

Kimberly Bunch, 29, the driver of the car that struck Steffee on May 5, was arrested at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at her North Las Vegas home, North Las Vegas Police Officer spokesman Tim Bedwell said.

The driver was suspected of being under the influence of methamphetamines and marijuana when she collided with the young bicyclist, Bedwell said.

"I'm very angry that someone would be on methamphetamines," Nicole Steffee said. "I was a pre-med student at UMC's pediatric emergency room and saw what methamphetamines can do. And I can tell you that children always seemed to get hurt" by the adult users.

Bunch was booked into the North Las Vegas Detention Center on three felony charges, including involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving and DUI drugs, Bedwell said. A blood alcohol test returned to police on Tuesday indicated methamphetamines and marijuana in her system, he said.

Born at Sunrise Hospital, Justyne Steffee from very early on developed a love of dance and was at one time a student at the Montasory Academy. She also traveled with her mother to various performances.

"She was always trying on my tutus," said Nicole, a principle dancer who also grew up in a theatre home. Her mother Shirley put herself through medical school as a dancer, appearing in such Broadway hits as 42nd Street.

Justyne was helpful around the house, her mother said, noting that she enjoyed helping change the diapers of her twin brothers Nicolas and Zackary, who are now 4.

She also was regularly on the honor roll since kindergarten, Nicole said.

A Roman Catholic, Justyne enjoyed going to church. Services have yet to be set, her mother said.

When Nicole Steffee opened Xanadu Productions, a charity organization that performs benefits for such groups as the Shade Tree women's shelter, Justyne took an immediate interest in helping the poor and abused.

"She always was excited to come to Shade Tree with me," Nicole said. "One day, she ransacked her room to gather up many of her articles of clothing and toys to donate to the children of the shelter. But she refused to give away anything of hers that was purple."

Justyne Steffee reportedly was not wearing a helmet when riding home from a friend's house after school, Bedwell said.

Bunch was driving a blue Chevrolet Lumina northbound on Revere Street at a speed at least 60 mph when she hit Steffee, who was traveling with the flow of westbound traffic while crossing the street on her bicycle at Craig Creek, police said.

Bunch's car skidded 117 feet before hitting the girl, and the car continued to skid for 87 feet after hitting the child, North Las Vegas Sgt. Dan Ewing said.

The speed limit there is 35 mph.

Witnesses told police that Steffee did not stop at the stop sign at Craig Creek, Bedwell said. However, Bedwell said, evidence at the scene indicates that the automobile could have veered and missed the slow-moving child.

Nevada law treats bicyclists the same as automobiles when operating on roads.

Nicole Steffee believes Justyne was wearing her helmet. She theorizes it was taken from the scene before police could secure the site.

An account in Justyne Steffee's name has been opened at the Wells Fargo Bank.

In addition to her mother, two brothers, all of Las Vegas, and her grandmother of New York City; Steffee is survived by her father, a corrections officer; grandfather Dr. Terry Steffee of New York City; and grandparents Larry and Barbara Jack of Salem, Ohio.