Driving over 90 mph in a 30 mph zone, an Apple employee rear-ended a stopped car outside the company’s Cupertino headquarters, killing a 2-year-old girl.
Speedometer Stuck at 100 MPH
The crash happened at 12:01 p.m. on November 6, 2026, at Tantau and Pruneridge avenues near the Apple Park Visitor Center, KTVU reported. Eric Chen Su, 37, was driving a black Toyota Camry north on Tantau Avenue when he struck the back of a stopped blue Chevy sedan.
Su did not apply his brakes before the collision, according to a Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office statement of facts. Investigators found the Toyota’s speedometer stuck at 100 mph after the crash.
The impact killed 2-year-old Riley Kathryn Howard and hospitalized a woman with head and spinal injuries. Riley was sitting in a child safety seat inside the Chevy sedan, KTVU reported.
Murder Charges in Palo Alto Court
Authorities originally arrested Su on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter. On November 10, 2026, prosecutors charged Su with murder and assault with a deadly weapon in a Palo Alto courtroom, cbsnews.com reported.
The criminal complaint alleges that Su personally inflicted great bodily injury during the assault and that the victim was particularly vulnerable. Su remains jailed.
Investigators determined that Su worked at Apple’s Cupertino site. The crash occurred during the busy noon hour when vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic increases around Apple Park Way, cbsnews.com reported.
Unclear Lunch Break Status
Investigators wrote in the statement of facts that a reasonable person would know the time of day was busier than normal. The sheriff’s office said that Su drove at a reckless speed without due regard for the safety of others.
It remains unclear whether Su was on his lunch break at the time of the crash, KTVU reported. There were no signs of drug or alcohol impairment, but family statements indicated a history of mental health concerns, according to the deputy’s report cited by cbsnews.com.
