Steelers star Ben Roethlisberger, the youngest quarterback to lead a team to the Super Bowl championship, broke his jaw and nose in a motorcycle crash Monday and underwent seven hours of surgery for multiple fractures.
Roethlisberger remained in serious but stable condition Monday night, said Dr. Larry Jones, chief of trauma at Mercy Hospital. Doctors who operated on Ben Roethlisberger say all of his fractures have been successfully repaired.
Doctor Daniel Pituch, who led the five-member surgical team, says Roethlisberger has no other serious injuries that doctors are aware of. Pituch says the athlete's brain, spine, chest and abdomen all look OK.
AUDIO: Doctors' Update on Roethlisberger's Condition.
VIDEO: The Roethlisberger Accident in Pictures.
The 24-year-old Roethlisberger was not wearing a helmet, Pittsburgh police said. He has said he likes to ride without one, a habit that once prompted a lecture from Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher.
Roethlisberger was on his black 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa traveling east on 2nd Avenue toward an intersection at the edge of 
downtown at about 11:10 a.m., police said. A silver Chrysler New Yorker traveling in the opposite direction took a left hand turn and collided with the motorcycle, and Roethlisberger was thrown from the bike, police said.
The other car was driven by a 62-year-old woman who maintains homes in both Maine and Pittsburgh, police said. They didn't immediately release her name and no charges were filed.
Sandra Ford, of Pittsburgh, was waiting at a bus stop nearby when she said she saw the motorcycle approach the intersection. Seconds later, she said she heard a crash, saw the motorcyclist in the air and ran toward the crash scene.
"He wasn't moving and I was afraid that he had died ... He wasn't really speaking. He seemed dazed but he was resisting the effort to make him stay down," said Ford, who didn't realize the motorcyclist was Roethlisberger until she went home later and turned on the TV.
Authorities said the investigation into the crash was continuing. Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Kraus said police and homicide units were leading the investigation, a standard practice when there is an accident with critical injuries. He gave no details on whether anyone else was hurt.
In only his second year in the NFL, Roethlisberger helped guide the Steelers to the Super Bowl title in February at age 23. Training camp for next season begins at the end of July.
Several teammates, including backup quarterback Charlie Batch, linebacker Joey Porter and safety Mike Logan, arrived at the hospital emergency room but did not comment. Roethlisberger's mother was crying as she arrived at the hospital Monday afternoon.
Some fans also gathered at the hospital, including Juanita Clark, who sells Steelers' paraphernalia, and her daughter.
"I just feel like he's a family member," Loretta Clark said.
Two women who wore Steelers jerseys and had a small cooking grill were waiting across the street from the hospital late Monday. They said they planned to stay there until Roethlisberger leaves. Nichol Mitchell, 35, of Pittsburgh, said they were there "to show some support for his family, for the team."
Roethlisberger has said in the past that he prefers not to wear a helmet when riding his motorcycle. He has pointed out Pennsylvania's state law requiring helmets to be worn was repealed in September 2003.
In May 2005, Cowher warned him about safe riding after Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. was injured in a motorcycle accident. Winslow tore knee ligaments and was lost for the season.
"He talked about being a risk-taker and I'm not really a risk-taker. I'm pretty conservative and laid back, but the big thing is to just be careful," Roethlisberger said at the time. "I'll just continue to be careful. I told him we don't ever ride alone, we always ride in a group of people, and I think it makes it even more safe."
According to the Suzuki Web site, the Hayabusa is the fastest production bike made.
Roethlisberger continued to ride after Winslow's accident and that angered Terry Bradshaw, who quarterbacked the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories during the 1970s.
Visiting the Steelers' training camp last summer, Bradshaw remarked: "Ride it when you retire."
(Top photo: Ben Roethlisberger web site)
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