California mother charged with manslaughter in e-motorcycle fatality

A California woman has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after her 14-year-old son allegedly struck and killed an 81-year-old man while riding an e-motorcycle. Tommi Jo Mejer, 50, of Aliso Viejo, was charged after Ed Ashman, a Vietnam War veteran and former U.S. Marine Corps captain, died from injuries sustained in the April 16 incident. Ashman was walking home from his job as a substitute teacher when he was hit by Mejer’s son, who was performing wheelies on a Surron Ultra Bee e-motorcycle, capable of reaching speeds up to 56 mph. Prosecutors allege Mejer knew her son was riding the vehicle recklessly and illegally, as e-motorcycles require a motorcycle license and riders must be at least 16 years old. Mejer was previously charged with felony child endangerment, accessory after the fact, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and providing false information to an officer. The involuntary manslaughter charge was added after Ashman’s death. If convicted on all counts, Mejer faces up to seven years and eight months in prison. Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has vowed to prosecute parents who allow children to ride e-motorcycles illegally, calling them "loaded weapons." Mejer is the third parent charged this year in such cases. Deputies had previously warned Mejer about the risks of allowing her son to ride the e-motorcycle, but she reportedly continued to let him use it. Mejer has not yet appeared in court, and no public defender has been listed in records for her.