California Mother Charged With Involuntary Manslaughter After Son's Illegal E‑Motorcycle Kills 81‑Year‑Old Veteran

A California mother, Tommi Jo Mejer, has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after prosecutors say her 14-year-old son struck and later killed 81-year-old Vietnam veteran and substitute teacher Ed Ashman while riding an illegal Surron e-motorcycle in Lake Forest, Calif.

The collision occurred on April 16 near El Toro High School. Deputies say the boy was performing tricks in the street when he struck Ashman; the child fled the scene before officers arrived. Ashman was found at the scene and later died of his injuries on April 30, authorities said.

Orange County Sheriff's deputies visited Mejer at her home and say she initially denied owning the e-motorcycle or that her son had access to it. She was first booked on multiple counts, including child endangerment, accessory after the fact, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, lending a motor vehicle to an unlicensed driver and providing false information to a peace officer.

On May 1, the Orange County District Attorney's Office announced that Mejer's charges have been upgraded to include involuntary manslaughter in addition to the earlier counts and an infraction for permitting an unlicensed minor to operate a motor vehicle. If convicted on all counts, she faces a maximum sentence of seven years and eight months in state prison.

The DA's office emphasized that e-motorcycles such as the Surron are classified as Class 3 vehicles. Unlike Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, Class 3 vehicles are capable of exceeding 20 mph or producing more than 750 watts of power; under California law, riders must be at least 16 to operate them.

Prosecutors say Mejer had previously been warned after a prior contact with deputies months earlier, during which she acknowledged buying the Surron for her then-13-year-old and admitted he rode it recklessly. Deputies say she was told he was not legally permitted to ride the vehicle and that continued use could lead to criminal charges.

"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 District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a May 1 news release.

Spitzer added that prosecutors intend to hold parents accountable when children operating illegal motor vehicles endanger the public.

A GoFundMe campaign established to help with Ashman's medical and funeral expenses remembered him for his military service as a jet pilot during the Vietnam War and for his later years mentoring students at El Toro High School. The fundraiser described him as a devoted husband, father and grandfather.

Local authorities and the Orange County District Attorney's Office continue to investigate. Media representatives reached out to Surron for comment.