OC mom faces manslaughter charge after son's e-motorcycle kills 81-year-old

An Orange County mother appeared in court Monday after prosecutors charged her with involuntary manslaughter for allowing her 14-year-old son to ride an e-motorcycle that struck and killed an 81-year-old substitute teacher in Lake Forest.

The case raises urgent questions about parental liability in Orange County as prosecutors argue the mother continued to allow illegal e-motorcycle use on public streets after repeated warnings from sheriff's deputies.

Tommi Jo Mejer, 51, of Aliso Viejo, was charged after her son was operating a 2025 Surron Ultra Bee e-motorcycle near the intersection of Toledo Way and Ridge Route Drive on April 16 when it struck Ed Ashman, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. The teenager was reportedly performing wheelies at the time of the collision. Ashman was hospitalized in critical condition and died April 30.

Ashman, a substitute teacher and Vietnam War veteran, was 81. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer invoked his military record in a statement: "An American hero who survived flying combat missions in Vietnam could not survive walking across the street in Lake Forest because of a 14-year-old child who was allowed to ride an E-Motorcycle that he should have never been riding."

Orange County sheriff's deputies had previously warned Mejer not to permit her son to ride the vehicle on public roads, according to ABC7 Los Angeles. In June 2025, Mejer herself contacted deputies to report that photographs of her son — then 13 — riding the e-motorcycle had been posted online. In that exchange she acknowledged the motorcycle had been bought for him and was being used recklessly. After the April crash, however, Mejer allegedly told investigators her family did not own an e-motorcycle.

Under California law, the Surron Ultra Bee is classified as a motorcycle and requires a license, insurance, a license plate and registration for use on public streets. The teen fled the scene after the collision.

Spitzer said, "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 faces a maximum sentence of seven years and eight months if convicted on all counts. Her arraignment is scheduled for June 30 in Newport Beach.

In a statement, Mejer's attorneys said she "is anguished over the terrible accident" and "sends her deepest condolences and sorrow over this tragedy," describing the situation as "devastating for everyone" and calling further comment premature.

Mejer is scheduled to be arraigned June 30 in Newport Beach. The case is expected to intensify debate across Orange County about parental accountability when minors operate high-powered electric vehicles on public roads.