A southern California woman faces an additional charge of involuntary manslaughter after an 81-year-old man died from injuries sustained when her teenage son struck him while riding an e-motorcycle, prosecutors announced Friday.
On April 16, Tommi Jo Mejer's 14-year-old son was riding a Surron e-motorcycle and performing wheelies when he collided with Ed Ashman, according to prosecutors. Ashman, a former US Marine Corps captain, was walking home from his job as a substitute teacher at a high school in Lake Forest. He suffered critical injuries and died on Thursday. Mejer, of Aliso Viejo in Orange County, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in addition to a previous count of felony child endangerment.
"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," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement.
Mejer has not yet appeared in court, and no public defender is listed in records for her. The district attorney's office provided the Associated Press with the name of a private attorney who may represent Mejer; that attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Mejer also faces charges of felony accessory after the fact and misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and providing false information to an officer. If convicted on all counts, she could be sentenced to up to seven years and eight months in prison, prosecutors said.
In June 2025, prosecutors said, Mejer called the sheriff's department to complain that someone was posting pictures of her son riding the e-motorcycle. During a body camera-recorded interaction with deputies, she stated she bought the vehicle and "knew that he drove it recklessly." Deputies warned her that she could face criminal charges for allowing him to ride illegally.
Under California law, a bike is classified as an e-motorcycle if its electric motor exceeds 750 watts or can reach speeds above 20 mph without pedaling. Riders must be at least 16 years old and possess a motorcycle license. The boy's e-motorcycle, a 2025 Surron Ultra Bee, can reach a top speed of 56 mph, according to the manufacturer.
In the hours after the April collision, Mejer told deputies that neither she nor her son owned a Surron e-motorcycle or had access to one, prosecutors said. The district attorney's office stated it could not discuss whether the boy will face prosecution because it is a juvenile case.
Orange County prosecutors have filed child endangerment charges against three parents this year for allowing children to illegally ride e-motorcycles. In Contra Costa County, northern California, parents were charged after their child crashed into a minivan.
Lawrence Rosenthal, a law professor at Chapman University, noted that prosecutions of parents were traditionally seen in truancy cases due to specific legal provisions. However, parental criminal liability in other contexts has gained attention recently, especially in shootings committed by minors.
"This is a very new theory. There's not a long, robust history," Rosenthal said. In shooting cases, prosecutors must prove "criminal negligence" leading to death, such as providing access to a gun. However, legal theories may be harder to prove in e-motorcycle cases, as prosecutors must show parents knew the risks. "Is it reasonably foreseeable that a child's going to kill somebody?" Rosenthal asked.
