A young teenager riding a modified e-bike ran a red light and collided with a car, causing the 12-year-old to suffer major injuries. And now prosecutors say that his father should be held accountable for the accident. They argue that the parent had allowed modifications to the e-bike that made it reach speeds so high that it should be classified as an e-motorcycle, which would require the teenager to be 16 years old and have a driver’s license to operate the vehicle legally.
Teenager’s parent faces charges of child endangerment
In July 2025, the then 12-year-old son of Richard John Eyssallenne crashed his e-bike into a car at an intersection, according to CBS News Los Angeles.
Dashcam footage of the accident shows the teenager flipping into the air and crashing hard on the ground, resulting in him suffering a broken leg and a fractured skull. However, prosecutors from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office say the accident shouldn’t have happened in the first place. They have charged Eyssallenne with criminal charges of child endangerment and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
They argue that the father had permitted the e-bike, a 2024 Talaria XXX, to be modified to such a degree that it could be pushed past its maximum output of 750 watts to around 5,000 watts, per filing charges in March. The vehicle is only supposed to be able to go 20 miles per hour, but the manufacturer-installed governor had been rerouted to a key switch, allowing it to reach speeds that would qualify the vehicle to an e-motorcycle instead. In addition, the manufacturer pedals had been replaced with motorcycle pegs, which meant that the pedals were not “fully operable.”
Todd Spitzer, a district attorney for Orange County, said a child should not have access to a modified e-bike like this, per Bailey Law.
“There is absolutely no reason that an unlicensed, untrained child with no concept of the rules of the road should be riding a motorcycle that can go up to 60 miles per hour next to cars on a public street,” Spitzer said, “and think that by some miracle they are going to be safe.”
Orange County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Kiana Lewis, who was at the scene of the 2025 accident, testified on August 25 that she contacted Child Protective Services as part of the case. She said that the e-bike had been involved in “two separate incidents,” which made her believe that “maybe there wasn’t sound decision-making.”
According to the DA’s Office, Eyssallenne faces up to six years in prison if he is convicted. He has pled not guilty to all charges.
Teen testifies that he rode the e-bike against his father’s wishes
In his defense, his son, now 13, testified on August 26 that he disobeyed his father by taking the e-bike out. He says he found a hidden key for the vehicle and cut the wires regulating the bike’s speed.
“I snuck out with my bike when I wasn’t supposed to after I modified it,” the son stated. “I wasn’t supposed to also and I got hit by a car.”
However, Judge Robert Flory was unconvinced by the son’s statement. He said, “This is well beyond ordinary negligence to allow a 12-year-old child this unfettered access to the bike because the reason reasonable people don’t let 12-year-olds ride bikes like this is because it’s entirely conceivable that they will be involved in accidents just like this.”
The father’s attorney, Mitchell Krems, respectfully disagreed with this assessment, saying that it was “almost overwhelming for the judge to hear exactly how he was able to modify the bike” and noted that “this child is extraordinarily intelligent.”
Spitzer indicated that he wanted this case to be a warning to other parents whose children own e-bikes and e-motorcycles: “Let me make it clear: Parents who buy their child an e-motorcycle and let them ride them illegally or help modify e-bikes to transform them into e-motorcycles are handing their children a loaded weapon — and those parents are going to be prosecuted.”
Eyssallenne’s case will be heading to trial, with proceedings beginning on September 9.
