Stephanie Potter, 72, is four months into recovery after a March collision in Seal Beach when a teenager riding a Sur‑Ron e‑motorcycle struck her in a marked crosswalk, causing multiple fractures and weeks in ICU and rehab. Her jaw remains damaged and she is scheduled for corrective surgery next month. California's Senate Bill 586 (Section 436.1), effective Jan 1, 2026, classifies Sur‑Ron models as off-highway 'eMotos' rather than low-speed e-bikes, restricting their use to off-highway areas. Potter is urging education and clearer rules to prevent similar tragedies and will speak at a local safety luncheon on July 28.
72-Year-Old Pedestrian Severely Injured By Teen On Sur‑Ron E‑Motorcycle; She Urges Better Rules
Image Credit: Shannon Potter/ABC7
Stephanie Potter, 72, of Seal Beach, California, is still recovering four months after a March collision in which a teenager riding a Sur‑Ron electric motorcycle struck her as she crossed Main Street at Ocean Avenue around 5:30 p.m. Potter woke in the intensive care unit with a broken right tibia, a fractured left hand, a broken nose and a fractured jaw.
She spent two weeks in the ICU followed by four weeks in a rehabilitation facility and was discharged only after she could swallow and speak unaided. Her jaw has not fully healed and she is scheduled for surgery next month to have it re-broken and reset, a procedure that will be necessary for clearer speech and long-term recovery.
It’s not to punish. It’s to educate, Potter said, describing her goal of urging parents and communities to do more to prevent similar crashes.
Legal And Safety Context
Many people refer to Sur‑Ron models as e-bikes, but California law now distinguishes low-speed electric bicycles from more powerful off-highway electric motorcycles. Senate Bill 586 added Section 436.1 to the California Vehicle Code, effective January 1, 2026, creating an 'off-highway electric motorcycle' or 'eMoto' category. Under that classification, vehicles like Sur‑Ron models, which have foot pegs instead of pedals and exceed 750 watts or 20 mph on motor power alone, are treated similarly to gas dirt bikes or ATVs and are generally intended for private property and designated off-highway areas rather than streets, sidewalks, bike lanes or bike paths.
Enforcement And Accountability
Potter plans to speak on July 28 at a safety luncheon hosted by the Seal Beach Rotary Club, where representatives from the Orange County District Attorney's Office will attend. She has urged education and clearer regulations for families and communities so that minors do not ride inappropriate vehicles on public ways.
Related Incidents
While Potter recovered, a separate crash in nearby Lake Forest ended in a fatality. Ed Ashman, an 81-year-old Vietnam War veteran and substitute teacher, was struck on April 16 by a 14-year-old reportedly doing wheelies on a Sur‑Ron outside El Toro High School. Ashman died two weeks later. Prosecutors charged that boy's mother, Tommi Jo Mejer of Aliso Viejo, with multiple counts including involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and permitting an unlicensed minor to drive; she is the third parent in Orange County to face charges this year tied to allowing minors to operate e-motorcycles illegally.
Potter's own legal matter remains pending, but she says stronger education, clearer rules and greater accountability could help prevent more injuries and deaths. Local officials and prosecutors continue to weigh enforcement and outreach as these vehicles become more common.
What Readers Should Know: Sur‑Ron and similar models are legally treated as off-highway electric motorcycles in California as of Jan 1, 2026, and are not equivalent to pedal-assist e-bikes. Communities and parents should understand the distinctions to reduce the risk of collisions and ensure minors are not using vehicles designed for off-road use on public streets or sidewalks.
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