LAKE FOREST, CA — A California mother faces involuntary manslaughter charges after her 14-year-old son fatally struck an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran with an illegal electric motorcycle, prosecutors announced following the victim’s death two weeks after the crash.
Ed Ashman, a retired Marine Corps captain and substitute teacher at El Toro High School, died Thursday from injuries sustained when Tommi Jo Mejer’s son allegedly hit him while performing wheelies on a high-powered e-motorcycle near the school on April 16. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer upgraded charges against Mejer, 50, of Aliso Viejo, after initially filing child endangerment and accessory charges following the crash. The case marks the third time this year Spitzer’s office has prosecuted parents for allowing children to illegally operate electric motorcycles in Orange County.
The collision occurred at the intersection of Toledo Way and Ridge Route Drive as Ashman walked home from his teaching job at El Toro High School around 3 p.m. on April 16, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department reports. The teen was riding a 2025 Surron Ultra Bee e-motorcycle capable of reaching speeds up to 56 mph when he struck Ashman and fled the scene, investigators said. Deputies found the victim with critical injuries and transported him to a local hospital, where he remained in critical condition for two weeks before succumbing to his injuries. “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,” Spitzer said in a statement released Friday.
Court documents reveal that Orange County sheriff’s deputies had previously warned Mejer about the illegal nature of her son’s vehicle during a June 2024 encounter. Deputies spent nearly 30 minutes explaining to Mejer that her son could not legally operate the e-motorcycle without proper licensing, registration, and insurance, according to body camera footage referenced by prosecutors. California law requires riders of vehicles capable of exceeding 20 mph with throttle assistance to obtain motorcycle licenses and be at least 16 years old. The Surron Ultra Bee, marketed as reaching top speeds of 56 mph, falls under motorcycle regulations rather than e-bike classifications. Despite the warning, prosecutors allege Mejer continued allowing her son to ride the vehicle and later provided false information to investigators, initially denying ownership of the motorcycle during the hit-and-run investigation.
Mejer now faces a maximum sentence of seven years and eight months in state prison if convicted on all counts, which include involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, accessory after the fact, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and providing false information to a peace officer. The charges reflect a broader crackdown by Orange County prosecutors on what Spitzer has called a “pandemic” of illegal e-motorcycle use by minors. Two other Orange County parents have been charged this year in similar cases involving children operating high-powered electric vehicles in Yorba Linda and Huntington Beach. The surge in prosecutions comes as California legislators consider new regulations for e-bikes and e-motorcycles, including Assembly Bill 1942, which would require certain models to display license plates, and Assembly Bill 1557, which would reduce maximum speeds for vehicles children can legally operate.
Ashman’s death has prompted renewed safety discussions in Orange County school districts, with Newport-Mesa Unified announcing a ban on e-bikes and motorized vehicles for elementary and middle school students beginning in the 2026-27 school year. The Lake Forest community has rallied around Ashman’s family through a GoFundMe campaign that has raised funds to cover funeral and medical expenses. Family members described Ashman as a beloved educator who had served his country with distinction before dedicating his later years to teaching. “It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of Ed Ashman’s passing,” the family shared through the fundraising platform. “Your generosity is going to be a massive help in ensuring Ed is honored properly.” The Orange County Sheriff’s Department continues investigating the case and has requested anyone with information about illegal e-motorcycle activity in the area to contact authorities.
The prosecution of Mejer represents part of District Attorney Spitzer’s aggressive stance toward parents who allow children to operate illegal motor vehicles. Spitzer has described high-powered e-motorcycles as “loaded weapons” when placed in the hands of unlicensed minors, emphasizing that parents will face criminal accountability when their failure to supervise results in injury or death. The case also highlights growing concerns about modified e-bikes and powerful electric motorcycles that can reach highway speeds while being operated by children without proper training or safety equipment. Recent incidents across Southern California, including a 13-year-old killed by an Amtrak train while riding an e-bike in Simi Valley, have intensified calls for stricter enforcement and clearer regulations governing these vehicles.
Mejer is scheduled for arraignment on May 21 in Newport Beach, where she will enter pleas to all charges. The specific proceedings involving her 14-year-old son remain sealed due to juvenile privacy laws, though authorities have not indicated whether his charges will be upgraded following Ashman’s death. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office continues reviewing similar cases as part of its commitment to hold parents accountable for children’s illegal vehicle operation.
