Calif. dad gets felony charge over son’s 60 mph e-motorcycle crash

Orange County The District Attorney’s Office announced this week that it has filed child endangerment and exploitation charges against a father whose 12-year-old son was seriously injured when he was struck by a modified electric motorcycle. The charges stem from a crash last year in which the boy ran a red light and crashed into a car, causing multiple serious injuries, including a broken femur and a fractured skull, prosecutors said.

The prosecutor’s office said that during the investigation into the accident, it was determined that the child was driving a Talaria XXX e-moto, or electronic motorcycle, modified by his father. The bicycle governor installed to specifically limit the maximum speed of the vehicle was cut and the pedals on the bicycle were replaced. According to the DA’s office, the modified e-motorcycle was capable of reaching speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.

“There is absolutely no reason for a child who is unlicensed, untrained, and has no idea about the rules of the road to ride a motorcycle that can travel up to 60 miles per hour next to cars on a public street and think that by some miracle they will be safe,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said. in a newsletter We explain the accusations. “This 12-year-old is lucky to be alive, and the driver who hit him will have to live in fear of seriously injuring a child through no fault of his own.”

E-motos differ from e-bikes in many important ways, such as top speed limits and total power output. They also come with other requirements: in californiaDrivers must be at least 16 years old, wear appropriate safety equipment and be properly licensed and insured.

“Let me make this clear: Parents who buy their children an E-motorcycle and allow them to ride them illegally, or who help convert eBikes to E-motorcycles, are giving their children a loaded gun,” Spitzer added in his statement, adding, “those parents will be prosecuted.”

E-bikes and e-motos have exploded in popularity over the last decade and argument followed. While bicycles serve as a zero-emission local transportation option for suburban kids, they are viewed by some as a dangerous scourge that can seriously injure both drivers and others. Municipalities throughout california They tried to balance their legitimate use with an increase in illegal operations, accidents, and injuries, but these efforts were at times in vain.

The district attorney’s office noted that the unnamed boy was previously charged with illegal use of an e-moto in December 2024 and was forced to attend an e-bike safety presentation by police along with his father.

The father, Richard John Eyssallenne, 39, of Yorba Linda, pleaded not guilty to felony child endangerment and misdemeanor contributing to the delinquency of a minor. If convicted, he faces a maximum of six years in state prison. Eyssallenne did not respond to an emailed request for comment before publication.

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This article was first published at: California father charged with felony over son’s 60 mph e-motorcycle crash.