The parents of a 13-year-old Orange County boy who died in an electric-bike crash are facing criminal charges, accused of allowing their son to illegally ride a powerful motorcycle-style e-bike—even after he was seriously injured in an earlier collision.
Benson Nguyen was traveling at 43 mph on his E-Moto when he crashed into a concrete light pole in Garden Grove on May 7.
The teenager was taken to UCI Medical Center, where he later died. Prosecutors said that before the fatal crash, Nguyen had been speeding, running red lights and performing wheelies on a high-powered E-Ride Pro SS 2.0.
His father, 56-year-old Vu Thanh Nguyen, and mother, 49-year-old Hong Cuc Thi Nguyen, both of Santa Ana, are now charged with allegedly failing to prevent their son from riding the motorcycle illegally.
Authorities said the boy’s father bought him an even faster and more powerful bike, despite Benson having broken his leg in a separate crash just six months earlier.
“When parents refuse to hold their children accountable and that refusal to parent results in unspeakable
tragedy, then I have no choice but to hold parents accountable,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a release.
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The E-Moto Benson was riding is legally classified as a motorcycle, which means it requires a driver’s license and registration with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
If convicted on every count, the father could receive up to six years in California state prison. The mother faces a maximum sentence of one year in county jail.
The case comes as officials warn about a rise in fatal crashes involving electric bikes and motorcycle-style E-Motos across Southern California.
“More than 125 deaths have been attributed to E-Bikes and E-Motos in the United States… E-Bike and E-Moto injuries are now the number one reason children in Orange County end up in the emergency room, with injuries skyrocketing more than 430% in Southern California in just the last four years,” the district attorney’s office said.
A GoFundMe campaign created in Nguyen’s name has raised more than $7,100 toward its $7,500 goal.