A California mother has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after her 14-year-old son, riding an e-motorcycle, struck and killed an 81-year-old man. Tommi Jo Mejer, 37, of Aliso Viejo, Orange County, was already facing a felony child endangerment charge following the incident on 16 April.
Prosecutors said Mejer’s son was riding a Surron Ultra Bee e-motorcycle and performing wheelies when he hit Ed Ashman, a former US Marine Corps captain who was walking home from his job as a substitute teacher in Lake Forest. Ashman died from his injuries on Thursday.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement: “This mother essentially handed her 14-year-old son a deadly weapon, and despite multiple warnings of the dangers, continued to let him illegally ride an e-motorcycle until he finally killed someone.”
Mejer has also been charged with felony accessory after the fact, misdemeanour counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and providing false information to an officer. If convicted on all counts, she could face up to seven years and eight months in prison.
According to prosecutors, in June 2025 Mejer called the sheriff’s department to complain about photos of her son riding the e-motorcycle being posted online. During a body-camera-recorded interaction with deputies, she admitted buying the vehicle and knowing that her son drove it recklessly. Deputies warned her she could face criminal charges for allowing him to ride it illegally.
Under California law, an e-motorcycle is defined as having an electric motor over 750 watts or capable of exceeding 20mph without pedalling. Riders must be at least 16 and hold a motorcycle licence. The Surron Ultra Bee model can reach 56mph, according to its manufacturer. In the hours after the collision, Mejer told deputies that neither she nor her son owned or had access to such a vehicle.
