Aliso Viejo mother charged after teen son crashes into 81-year-old man while riding e-motorcycle, leaving him critically injured

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. () — An Orange County mother is facing felony charges after prosecutors say her teenage son critically injured an 81-year-old man by crashing into him while riding an electric motorcycle

The crash happened last week, and the victim remains hospitalized in critical condition. Prosecutors say the woman was warned about letting her son illegally ride the e-motorcycle before the crash.

As Ed Ashman fights for his life in the hospital after being struck by a 14-year-old boy illegally riding an e-motorcycle in Lake Forest, the teen’s mother is facing the consequences.

“She’s looking at over six years in state prison,” Spitzer told Eyewitness News.

Spitzer says his office has charged 50-year-old Tommi Jo Mejer with one felony count of child endangerment, one felony count of accessory after the fact to a crime, one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, one misdemeanor count of loaning a motor vehicle to an unlicensed driver and one misdemeanor count of providing false information to a peace officer. She was arrested on Tuesday.

“I am going to prosecute parents to the fullest extent of the law,” Spitzer said. “As parents, whether you like it or not, we’re responsible for the conduct of our children.”

Last week, investigators say Mejer’s son was riding a Surron e-motorcycle, “doing wheelies” outside of El Toro High School, when he crashed into Ashman — a Vietnam War veteran and beloved substitute teacher who was walking home from work. He is now hospitalized in critical condition.

“We are praying that this substitute school teacher will have a full recovery, and that the charges don’t change at all,” Spitzer said.

The law says e-bikes manufactured to stay under 20 mph have no age or licensing restrictions, but those that have been modified or can reach higher speeds are considered e-motorcycles and require a motorcycle license, insurance and registration.

“It could go up to 60 mph with that particular model, and it could go from like 35 mph in two to three seconds,” Spitzer said.

Investigators say Mejer was warned by sheriff’s deputies about letting her son illegally ride the e-motorcycle in June of last year.

Mejer reportedly called the sheriff’s department, complaining that a neighbor was posting pictures of her son riding an e-motorcycle, saying he was out of control.

The sheriff’s department says it spent nearly 30 minutes explaining to her that her son could not legally ride the e-motorcycle, and that she would face criminal charges if she continued to let him.

“We have her on body-worn camera talking about and understanding the dangers and the illegality of this particular vehicle,” Spitzer said.

Eyewitness News tried speaking with mejer at her Aliso Viejo home after she posted bond, but no one answered the door.

Spitzer hopes her case sends a message to parents and prosecutors.

“Either they’re going to hate me for doing this, saying, ‘Why the heck would you go after a parent when this is just their kids’ activity?’ Or they’re gonna say, ‘We better really research and thoroughly understand the kinds of motor vehicles we’re providing to our kids,'” Spitzer said. “A lot of times prosecutors have to bring these kinds of test cases, if you will, to make sure other prosecutors throughout the country understand that this is the direction we need to go.”

The district attorney cannot comment on any potential juvenile charges the teen involved in the crash is facing.

Mejer marks the third parent in Orange County this year alone charged with illegally allowing their child to ride an e-motorcycle.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help support Ashman during his recovery.

Spitzer issued the following statement in a press release:

“Parents who buy their child an E-motorcycle and let them ride them illegally or help modify e-Bikes to transform them into E-motorcycles are handing their children a loaded weapon – and those parents are going to be prosecuted. That is not a threat. That is a promise. 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 and he was run over in the street by a vehicle that should have never been on the road. There is absolutely no reason that an unlicensed, untrained child with no concept of the rules of the road should be riding a motorcycle that can go up to nearly 60 miles per hour next to cars on a public street and think that by some miracle they are going to be safe. The state Legislature has made it virtually impossible for prosecutors to hold juveniles accountable for committing serious crimes, and the only way to stop the carnage E-Bikes and E-motorcycles are causing across Orange County is to hold parents accountable for the crimes they allow their children to commit.”