Mother Faces Charges After Son’s Electric Motorcycle Accident Seriously Injures 81-Year-Old Veteran
Mother Faces Charges After Son’s E-Motorcycle Crash Leaves Veteran in Critical Condition
ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — A mother from Aliso Viejo is facing serious legal repercussions after her 14-year-old son allegedly struck a beloved local teacher and Vietnam veteran with a high-powered electric motorcycle, leaving the victim in critical condition.
The incident occurred on April 16, just before 4 p.m. near the intersection of Toledo Way and Ridge Route Drive, close to El Toro High School. According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the victim, 81-year-old Ed Ashman, was hit while the boy was performing wheelies on a Surron Ultra Bee E-motorcycle, a vehicle capable of speeds up to 58 mph, which requires a license, registration, and insurance that the teen did not possess.
Following the collision, the young rider fled the scene, leaving Ashman, a retired Marine Corps captain, with life-threatening injuries. He underwent surgery on April 19 and remains in critical condition.
Tommi Jo Mejer, the boy’s mother, was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment and accessory after the fact. Prosecutors allege that Mejer ignored prior police warnings regarding the illegality of her son operating the vehicle. During a 28-minute interaction with deputies in June 2025, she was explicitly told that her son could face criminal charges if he continued to ride it. Previously, she reportedly denied ownership of the motorcycle to investigators after the crash.
“It’s kind of sad that he has to like get injured this way from a stupid kid on a bike,” commented an El Toro High School student regarding the incident.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer condemned the actions of parents who permit their children to operate such vehicles illegally, stating, “Parents who buy their child an E-motorcycle… are handing their children a loaded weapon – and those parents are going to be prosecuted.”
Mejer is scheduled to return to court in October. If convicted, she could face a prison sentence of up to six years and eight months.
