Blood Drive To Honor Fallen OC Detective Is Slated For Sunday

LACEY TOWNSHIP, NJ - Dawn Stevens only wanted one thing for Christmas and her birthday this year.

Her request is simple. She wants people to give blood and sign organ donation cards in memory of her late husband, Ocean County Detective John Scott Stevens. The highly-regarded Stevens died on Jan. 21, 2015, less than two weeks after he was severely injured in a one-car crash on Dover Road in the Bamber Lakes section of Lacey Township.

"I am asking you all for a gift," she wrote on Lanoka Harbor Fire Department Facebook page. "Please mark your calendars for Sunday, January 21, 2018. We will be honoring and remembering the third anniversary of our dear Scott leaving us by having a blood and organ donation in his memory."

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lanoka Harbor Firehouse at 2 Warren Avenue in Lacey Township. Walk-ins are welcome. Anyone who wants to donate can also call 609-618-7114 or 1-800 733-2676. You can also visit the Red Cross website at www.redcrossblood.org and use the keyword John Scott Stevens. Stevens, 44, suffered severe head injuries in the accident. He was driving eastbound on Dover Road at 10:53 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2015 when he lost control of the 2004 Honda he was driving, crossed over into the westbound lane and struck a tree, Prosecutor's Office spokesman Al Della Fave has said.

His car was found in the woods off the shoulder of the roadway. He was airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center and died on Jan. 21, 2015.

Anyone who wants to donate can call 609-618-7114 or 1-800 733-2676. You can also visit the Red Cross website at www.redcrossblood.org and use the keyword John Scott Stevens. Walk-ins are also welcome.

The NJ Sharing Network will be there to raise awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

Photos: Ocean County Prosecutor's Office