| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: October 20, 2026 Case #26WF4151
|
|
Parents of 13-year-old Boy who Died Illegally Riding E-Moto
in Garden Grove Charged with Child Endangerment
Father is also facing contributing to delinquency of a minor charge after he bought his son a faster and more powerful E-Moto after repeated warnings of reckless riding, injuries.
SANTA ANA, Calif. – The parents of a 13-year-old boy who died after he lost control of an E-Moto going more than 40 miles per hour and crashed into a concrete light pole in Garden Grove in May have both been charged with child endangerment.
The boy’s father has also been charged with contributing to delinquency of a minor for buying his son a faster and more powerful E-Moto despite multiple warnings about his son’s reckless riding and the fact that his son was repeatedly injured while riding a different electric vehicle, including breaking his leg just six months before he died.
On May 7, 2026, 13-year-old Benson Nguyen was seen speeding, running red lights and doing wheelies on his E-Ride Pro SS 2.0 E-Moto shortly before he lost control of the vehicle on Magnolia Street near Larson Avenue just before 10 p.m. in the city of Garden Grove.
Benson crashed into the raised center divider and was ejected from his E-Moto before he collided with a concrete light pole. The boy was taken to UCI Medical Center where he died. Benson’s Life360 app showed his E-Ride Pro SS 2.0 E-Moto was traveling at 43 miles per hour when he lost control and crashed. The E-Ride Pro SS 2.0 E-Moto is capable of reaching speeds from 40 mph on “Eco” mode to 62 mph on “Sport” mode.
Prior to his death, Benson posted numerous videos on his TikTok and Instagram accounts of himself doing wheelies and leg switches on his E-Moto.
The E-Ride Pro SS 2.0 E-Moto ridden by Benson Nguyen bike was classified as a motor-driven cycle under CVC section 405 or a motorcycle under CVC section 400. Both classifications require a valid motorcycle license for street operation, as well as DMV registration, license plate, insurance and full motorcycle equipment. Without complying with these requirements, the only approved use of this E-Moto is either on private property or properly registered as Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) areas.
California law distinguishes between E-Bikes and E-Moto based on three main features: the power limit of its motor, its maximum speed limit, and whether it is equipped with operable pedals. Electric bicycles with Class 1 or Class 2 designations do not have rider age or licensing restrictions; E-Bikes with Class 3 designations require riders to be aged 16 or older.
Generally, an electric bike that does not qualify as Class 1, 2 or 3, will be classified as an electric motorcycle. That means either that the bike has an electric motor that exceeds 750 watts of power or can reach speeds higher than 20-mph on motor power alone. Additionally, if the bike is not equipped with fully operable pedals, or if it has been modified to reach speeds higher than 20-mph or to attain power higher than 750 watts, the bike cannot be designated an electric bike and instead would be considered an E-Moto.
Benson posted numerous videos on his TikTok and Instagram accounts of himself doing wheelies and leg switches on his E-Moto.
Benson’s father, Vu Thanh Nguyen, 56, of Santa Ana, has been charged with one felony count of child endangerment and one misdemeanor count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and the boy’s mother, Hong Cuc Thi Nguyen, 49, of Santa Ana, has been charged with one misdemeanor count of child endangerment. Vu Nguyen faces a maximum sentence of six years in state prison if convicted on all charges and Hong Nguyen faces a maximum sentence of one year in county jail if convicted.
“The loss of a child is a price no parent should pay, and we mourn the tragic loss of Benson along with everyone who loved him,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “But grief does not erase the decisions that were made by Benson’s parents to continue to allow their untrained and unlicensed 13-year-old to illegally ride an E-Moto after repeated warnings and repeated injuries and grief does not erase the need for accountability. 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.”
More than 125 deaths have been attributed to E-Bikes and E-Motos in the United States, including a 15-year-old boy who was riding on an E-Moto with a friend in La Habra, a 21-year-old who died five days after crashing an E-Bike in Huntington Beach, and an 81-year-old man who was hit and killed by a 14-year-old illegally riding an E-Moto.
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.
Children between the ages of 11 and 14 account for 61.7% of E-Moto crashes even though children under the age of 16 are legally prohibited from riding E-Motos, according to the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Record System (SWITRS).
In May 2026, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer announced the creation of a new E-Bike/E-Moto unit – RIDE SAFELY (Smart Accountability for E-Bikes and E-Motos and Law Enforcement for Youth) to review all potential criminal charges against juveniles and adults, including parents who knowingly allow their children to illegally ride E-Motos and E-Bikes. The unit is part of the District Attorney’s multi-pronged approach to reducing E-Bike and E-Moto injuries and saving lives along with increased education, prosecution of riders and their parents, pursuing additional legislation, and holding manufacturers and retailers accountable.
Since January, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office has filed child endangerment and related charges against 10 parents for allowing their children to illegally ride E-Motos, including filing involuntary manslaughter charges against a mother after her 14-year-old son hit and killed an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran in Lake Forest after she had been repeatedly warned that the E-Moto he was riding was illegal and that she could be held criminally liable. She faces a maximum sentence of seven years and eight months in state prison if convicted.
State leaders have developed an E-Bike guide with an inventory of best practices and resources from local agencies, including school-based trainings, policies, safety pledges, and other educational materials. To learn more, visit gosafelyca.org. The CHP has also developed a ready reference guide for law enforcement officers and issued an Information Bulletin for Allied Agencies with applicable California Vehicle Code definitions and requirements.
For a summary of updated E-Bike laws and ordinances in Orange County, visit the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) website.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Noor Hasan of the RIDE SAFELY Unit is prosecuting this case.
Click here for full press release.
###