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Orange County Mother Charged After Teenage Son Hits, Critically Injures Vietnam Veteran on E-Motorcycle

Prosecutors say Tommi Jo Mejer knew her son rode the bike recklessly, and a GoFundMe for the injured veteran has raised more than $80,000.

  • Prosecutors charged Aliso Viejo resident Tommi Jo Mejer, 50, with felony child endangerment and accessory after the fact on Tuesday after her 14-year-old son critically injured 81-year-old Vietnam veteran Ed Ashman while riding an e-motorcycle last week.
  • Authorities allege the teen was "doing wheelies" near El Toro High School on April 16 when he struck Ashman. Prosecutors say Mejer received explicit warnings during a 28-minute June 2025 interaction with deputies about the vehicle's illegality and her son's reckless driving.
  • The 2025 Surron Ultra Bee is classified as an e-motorcycle capable of reaching 58 mph and requires valid licensing to operate on public roads. District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Mejer "refused to parent her child" by allowing such illegal use.
  • Ashman remains hospitalized in critical condition following surgery on April 19, while supporters have raised more than $80,000 via GoFundMe. If convicted of all charges, Mejer faces a maximum sentence of six years and eight months in state prison.
  • Mejer is the third parent charged this year in Orange County for allowing children to illegally operate e-motorcycles. California Highway Patrol statistics document e-bike crashes surging from 48 in 2020 to at least 1,366 in 2025, driving enforcement crackdowns.
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Fox 11 LA broke the news on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
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