An Orange County mom — who’s dealing with a manslaughter cost — broke her silence after her teen son allegedly struck and killed an 81-year-old veteran whereas illegally using an electrical bike.
Following her arraignment in court docket on Tuesday, Tommi Jo Mejer, 50, — via her legal professional’s Lolita Kirk and Paul S. Meyer — mentioned that she’s devastated over what has occurred in Lake Forest in April.
“Tommi Mejer is anguished over the horrible accident,” the assertion to The Put up from the protection legal professional’s learn. “She sends her deepest condolences and sorrow over this tragedy.”
“This has been devastating for everybody. It’s untimely to make every other assertion.”
Mejer didn’t enter a plea to the fees she’s dealing with for permitting her teen son to illegally journey the electrical bike that ended up fatally killing Ed Ashman.
Authorities say the crash was preventable and that Mejer had been explicitly warned about her son’s harmful driving conduct earlier than the veteran was hit and in the end died two weeks after the accident.
“This mom primarily handed her 14-year-old son a lethal weapon, and regardless of a number of warnings of the risks, continued to let him illegally journey E-Bike till he lastly killed somebody,” Orange County District Legal professional Todd Spitzer mentioned.
Mejer is dealing with a number of costs together with one felony rely of involuntary manslaughter and one felony rely of kid endangerment. She’s additionally been charged with one misdemeanor rely of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, loaning a motorized vehicle to an unlicensed driver, and offering false data to a peace officer.
On April 16, Ashman was strolling throughout the road headed residence from his job instead trainer at El Toro Excessive College when he was struck by the teenager, per the DA.
Investigators say Mejer’s 14-year-old son was using a Surron Extremely Bee electrical bike on the street and “doing wheelies” when he slammed into Ashman, leaving him with catastrophic accidents. The teenager allegedly fled the scene.
Ashman was later recognized as a retired captain in america Marine Corps who flew fight missions in Vietnam.
Based on authorities, body-worn digital camera footage exhibits Mejer repeatedly telling Orange County Sheriff Deputies after the crash that neither her son or herself owned a Surron nor did they’ve entry to at least one, per the DA.
She was later arrested on April 21.
Months earlier than the incident, Mejer contacted the sheriff’s workplace to complain a few neighbor posting pictures of her son using the e-motorcycle, in line with prosecutors.
Throughout a roughly 30-minute interplay captured on physique digital camera, deputies informed her the automobile was unlawful for her son to function and warned she may face prison costs if she allowed it to proceed. Investigators say she acknowledged each the dangers and illegality.
The E-bike is classed as an off-road E-motorcycle able to going almost 60 miles per hour, with the aptitude of accelerating from 0-31 miles per hour in 2.3 seconds, per the DA.
The bike is classed as a motorbike underneath California legislation and a rider should be 16-years-old with a license, registration and insurance coverage.
“If mother and father aren’t going to carry their youngsters accountable, then I’m going to carry mother and father accountable for hurting and killing harmless individuals whereas using unlawful motor automobiles,” the DA mentioned.
The case marks at the least the third time this yr that an Orange County dad or mum has been charged for permitting a baby to illegally function an e-motorcycle, per the DA.
Mejer’s arraignment was continued till June. If convicted, she may face a most sentence of seven years and eight months in state jail.
