A California woman is facing potential prison time after her teenage son, riding an e-motorcycle, critically injured an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran and substitute teacher. Tommi Jo Mejer, 50, was arrested on Thursday and charged with multiple offenses, including felony child endangerment and accessory after the fact, according to ABC 7.
Charges Filed Against Mother
Prosecutors allege that Mejer allowed her 14-year-old son to ride a Surron e-motorcycle, despite being warned by police last June that the vehicle was illegal for him to operate without a license. The charges include one felony count of child endangerment, one felony count of accessory after the fact to a crime, and several misdemeanors: contributing to the delinquency of a minor, loaning a motor vehicle to an unlicensed driver, and providing false information to a peace officer.
Incident Details
The crash occurred outside El Toro High School in Lake Forest, California, where Ed Ashman, the victim, worked as a substitute teacher. Ashman was walking home when Mejer’s son, performing wheelies on the e-motorcycle, struck him. The vehicle, classified as an e-motorcycle under California law due to its ability to reach speeds up to 60 mph, is subject to licensing and registration requirements that the boy did not meet.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer emphasized the severity of the situation: “This 81-year-old man survived flying combat missions in Vietnam protecting freedom and now he is clinging to life because a mother refused to parent her child.”
Prior Warning Ignored
In June, police responded to a call from Mejer about a neighbor photographing her son riding the e-motorcycle. During that encounter, deputies spent 30 minutes explaining the illegality of the vehicle and warned that continued use would result in charges. Body-worn camera footage captured Mejer acknowledging the dangers, according to Spitzer.
Spitzer hopes the case serves as a deterrent: “Parents who buy their child an E-motorcycle and let them ride them illegally … are handing their children a loaded weapon – and those parents are going to be prosecuted.”
Victim’s Condition
Ashman, a combat pilot in Vietnam, a father, husband, and grandfather, remains in critical condition. A GoFundMe campaign has raised nearly $90,000 to support his recovery. Spitzer noted that Mejer is the third parent in Orange County to face charges for allowing children to ride e-motorcycles illegally.
