More parents facing charges for their children’s e-motorcycle crashes

Parents in a growing number of communities are being held criminally responsible when their children are involved in serious accidents involving electric motorcycles.

Videos of the practice often emerge on social media showing groups of children illegally riding e-motos, often performing dangerous stunts on busy roads.

In California, it is illegal for children under 16 to ride e-motos, which have a higher-powered motor than electric bikes.

In Southern California, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has attempted to crack down on the growing problem, bringing charges this year against 12 parents who are accused of letting their children illegally ride e-motos.

“I need to send a message in order to save other kids’ lives and to make sure other parents are taking responsibility for their children,” Spitzer told CBS News.

Among those charged were the mother and father of 13-year-old Benson Nguyen, who had posted videos of himself to his TikTok channel doing risky tricks.

In May, police said Nguyen was driving his e-moto recklessly at more than 40 miles per hour in the Orange County city of Garden Grove when he lost control and crashed into a light pole. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died from his injuries. Nguyen’s parents were charged with child endangerment. 

Spitzer said he does not want to prosecute parents, but feels he has to.

“I am a human being. I’ve raised two kids,” Spitzer said. “We have to understand that when you break the law, especially as serious as this is, there has to be consequences.”

According to numbers from the Orange County DA, there have been more than 125 deaths and tens of thousands of injuries attributed to e-bikes and e-motos across the U.S.

In Orange County, they are now the leading cause of juvenile emergency room visits, the DA’s office said.

“You shouldn’t furnish your kid a gun not understanding what they might do with that weapon,” Spitzer said. “And you certainly shouldn’t furnish a vehicle like an e-bike or an e-motorcycle.”