A mother of 50 years old from Aliso Viejo has been charged with felony offenses, including child endangerment, reckless driving, hit-and-run, and evading law enforcement, due to the allegations that she allowed her teenage son to drive a high-powered electric motorcycle on the roads despite repeated warnings from authorities.
The fatal accident occurred on April 16, 2026, at 4 p.m., where the victim was crossing Toledo Way and Ridge Route Drive, Lake Forest, California. The teen was allegedly riding his Surron Ultra Bee and performing wheelies while riding in the street. When the teen hit Ed Ashman, an 81-year-old former U.S. Marine Corps captain who served in the Vietnam War and worked as a substitute teacher, the teenager ran away from the scene. Ed Ashman died on April 30.
Not your usual electric bike, the Surron Ultra Bee rides like a motorbike in California. Reaching speeds up to 58 mph, it hits 31 mph from standstill in just 2.3 seconds. Riders must be sixteen or older to drive it legally on public streets. A proper motorcycle license? That’s required too. Rules apply once you turn the key.
A tweet from X.
That bicycle? Tommi Jo Mejer got it for her boy. She knew clear as day he tore down streets like a storm. Riding wild. People watching saw it too. In June 2025, she actually called the Orange County Sheriff’s Department herself to complain about photos of her then-13-year-old son on the motorcycle. During a 28-minute conversation captured on bodycam, she admitted purchasing it and knowing about his dangerous riding habits. Deputies warned her repeatedly that she could face criminal charges if she didn’t stop it.
After the fatal crash, investigators say Mejer denied that she or her son owned or had access to the Surron when questioned.
At first, she faced charges of felony child endangerment along with being an accessory after the event. When Ashman passed away, officials changed course adding felony involuntary manslaughter into the mix. Now there are more allegations: helping cause a minor’s downfall, lying to officers, plus several additional accusations. Conviction on all fronts might bring about six to eight years behind bars in a state facility. Court will hear her plea starting May 21.
Out on the streets, a young rider lost control Orange County DA Todd Spitzer didn’t hold back, labeling the bike a “deadly weapon” when driven by someone too young. Responsibility lands elsewhere, he says, since choices made at home echo far beyond driveways.
Out of nowhere, people started talking more about what parents should handle. These chats came after fast electric bikes began getting used too casually. Not every bike works the same way some go slow by law, others race past limits. One machine was nothing like the quiet kind seen on regular streets. A woman named Mejer now stands among a few moms and dads brought into court lately. The officials handling charges say her case fits a pattern they’ve seen before.
Shock lingers in Lake Forest. Friends called Ed Ashman a teacher who gave his all, a soldier who made it back from war but lost his life on a calm neighborhood road. Money is being raised online to help his loved ones through sorrow. The legal process will move forward soon, unfolding step by step.
