Boy Dies After Fast Electric Bike Crash; Parents Face Charges

A thirteen-year-old boy named Benson Nguyen died in May after his electric motorbike crashed at forty-five miles per hour, leaving his parents facing potential jail time for child endangerment. The Daily Mail has now revealed that officials originally estimated the speed at thirty-five miles per hour, but new information suggests the teen was actually traveling much faster when he struck a raised central divider in Garden Grove. His father, Vu Thanh Nguyen, fifty-six years old, and his mother, Hong Cuc Thi Nguyen, forty-nine years old, stand accused of letting him ride an Eride Pro SS 2.0 model that cost four thousand two hundred ninety-nine dollars. It remains unknown if the couple has entered a plea deal yet, though authorities say they will face criminal charges regardless of their current stance.

The investigation uncovered disturbing videos shared on Benson's TikTok profile showing him riding recklessly down main boulevards in Westminster and Orange County. One clip captures him mounting a curb at high speed while a friend films the scene before two police cruisers with lights flashing appear behind him. The boy is already gone by the time the officers reach the spot, highlighting just how fast he was moving. Other footage shows him pulling wheelies into oncoming traffic and balancing on one leg while speeding down public roads without regard for safety or law.

Just a month before his death, Benson rode a different electric bike called a Tuttio but claimed on social media that he had recently acquired the Eride model only three weeks prior. The manufacturer states this specific unit can reach speeds of fifty-five miles per hour if not properly restricted. During the fatal crash in May, police confirmed he was wearing a helmet, yet it was a standard bicycle helmet rather than one certified for motorbike use. A coroner's report later detailed that blunt force trauma to his abdomen caused his death after doctors attempted emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding while surgical towels lined his open wounds. Abrasions and contusions covered his body along with a deep cut on his left arm.

Prosecutors argue that state law classifies this vehicle as a motorbike because it lacks a pedal-assist system, which bans anyone under sixteen from riding such machines in California. His mother received a misdemeanor charge of child endangerment on Tuesday following the tragedy. The speed limit was clearly exceeded, and the lack of appropriate safety gear compounded the danger during that violent collision on a public street.

Prosecutors warned that if convicted she would spend up to one year in county jail. Her father, meanwhile, faces felony child endangerment plus an additional misdemeanor count for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His parents, Vu Thanh Nguyen and Hong Cuc Thi Nguyen, stand accused after being hit with charges of child endangerment.

One video clip shows the youngster balancing himself on the rear of an electric motorbike without wearing a helmet. Nguyen was thrown from that bike during the May crash. Police stated he wore a helmet, but it was a traditional bicycle helmet not designed for motorbike use. Public records show Hong runs her own beauty clinic in Westminster where the family lives in an apartment.

Vu held a state license to work as a manicurist, though his social media posts suggest he is now involved in construction work. He faces this extra charge after prosecutors claimed he bought his son a faster and more powerful motorbike despite warnings about reckless behavior and repeated injuries while riding a different bike earlier on. Just six months before his death, Nguyen had broken his leg while riding that other motorbike. If convicted on all counts, Vu could spend as much as six years behind bars.

A spokesperson for the Orange County District Attorney's Office told the Daily Mail this week that these charges against the parents marked the start of a widespread crackdown. Officials went door to door throughout the county speaking with retailers about their duties to inform buyers that these bikes are not street legal and not made for children. The DA's office also seized a motorbike they said the owner had altered to travel at speeds of 85 mph.

After announcing charges against Nguyen's parents, a flurry of other parents faced similar accusations too. Alex Li received a misdemeanor after prosecutors said he allowed his eleven-year-old son to ride an electric bike with an output of 1200 watts. This exceeded the 750-watt limit required even for it to be classified as a motorbike. In June, Li's son suffered broken bones and an arterial bleed after slamming into a pickup truck while traveling at 33 mph in Yorba Linda.

Mother Maria Roehling allegedly let her nine-year-old son have an electric bike capable of traveling at 47 mph when he was hit by a pickup truck. Prosecutors noted that just six months before his death, Nguyen had broken his leg riding a different motorbike. Nguyen is seen here fleeing from police on his motorbike at high speed by mounting a sidewalk. An image of his motorbike shows the wreckage following the crash that claimed his life.

She faces a felony count of child endangerment and an infraction for allowing a child to drive a motor vehicle without a license. If convicted on all counts, she faces six years behind bars. Dan Rezmives received one count of child endangerment and another for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Prosecutors said he let his twelve-year-old ride an electric bike bought for Christmas on city streets at speeds of 50 miles per hour. He faces a year in county jail if convicted.

Parents Hulin Guo and Xiaomin Wang face the same two counts each after their seventeen-year-old son led Newport Beach on a pursuit at 40 mph on his electric motorbike. The youngster resorted to driving around pedestrians on sidewalks and down one-way streets after refusing to pull over. Police had to abandon the pursuit due to his reckless driving. Jose Ramirezbarragan, thirty-three, is accused of allowing his fifteen-year-old brother to ride his electric motorbike around La Palma while leading police on a chase at speeds of 40 mph.

These cases highlight how regulations now target families providing powerful vehicles for minors. The government insists parents must stop selling or giving away machines built for racing tracks to children living on public roads. Many sellers ignore these rules hoping no one will catch them before someone gets hurt. Parents are getting hit hard because officials say safety is too important to gamble with.

Todd Spitzer, the District Attorney, made it clear that he does not want to put parents in court unless absolutely necessary. His goal is simple: save children's lives. When adults refuse to act like guardians and say no to dangerous rides that break the law, he has no choice but to file criminal charges. Kids are getting hurt badly or dying right now. Spitzer refuses to let another child suffer because someone failed to send a message that these vehicles are not toys for kids. If you give your child the keys to something deadly, then be ready to face the results of what you do. Right now, one man faces a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and could spend a year in county jail if found guilty. It is not yet known how the other people involved have pleaded their cases. Calls left for Wang, his wife Rezmives, and Li went unanswered. Cell phone numbers for Roehling and Ramirezbarragan were never made public so there was no way to reach them directly.