Apple Worker Charged in High-speed Crash That Killed Toddler

WHO:

KTVU - Eric Chen Su, identified as a 37-year-old Apple employee who worked at Apple’s Cupertino site, was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter.

KTVU - The crash killed 2-year-old Riley Kathryn Howard. A woman in the struck car, described by ABC7 Bay Area as Riley’s babysitter, was hospitalized with serious head and spinal injuries.

ABC7 Bay Area - Su, identified as 38 years old, was charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

NY Post - Eric Chen Su, 38, appeared before a judge in Palo Alto and faced felony charges of murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

ABC7 Bay Area - Riley Howard was identified as being from San Jose.

WHAT:

KTVU - A high-speed crash near Apple’s headquarters killed Riley and injured the woman in the car Su struck.

ABC7 Bay Area - The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office charged Su with murder; he faced two felony counts: murder and assault with a deadly weapon.

ABC7 Bay Area - The struck vehicle caught fire. A memorial was set up at the crash site, and a memorial was held there for Riley.

NY Post - Su was accused of killing a 2-year-old girl in a crash outside the technology company’s headquarters.

WHERE:

KTVU - The collision occurred at Tantau and Pruneridge avenues near the Apple Park Visitor Center in Cupertino, outside Apple’s headquarters.

ABC7 Bay Area - Su appeared before a judge in Palo Alto; Riley was identified as being from San Jose.

WHEN:

KTVU - The crash occurred at 12:01 p.m.; investigators said the area was busy around employees’ usual lunch hour.

ABC7 Bay Area - Su was charged Tuesday. The article says a memorial was held on Saturday, Nov.7, 2026.

WHY:

KTVU - Investigators said Su’s speed demonstrated “a total disregard for the safety of others.” They wrote, “A reasonable person would know this time of day was busier than normal.”

ABC7 Bay Area - The district attorney’s office said speed was a factor in the crash.

HOW:

KTVU - Investigators said Su drove a black Toyota Camry north on Tantau Avenue at more than 90 mph in a 30 mph zone, then rear-ended a stopped blue Chevy sedan without braking. The Toyota’s speedometer was stuck at 100 mph after the crash.

KTVU - Investigators said Apple video footage and witness accounts supported their findings; KTVU said it had not reviewed the footage.

ABC7 Bay Area - The district attorney’s office said Su was traveling nearly 100 mph when he struck a vehicle stopped at a red light. Riley and the babysitter were taken to a nearby hospital, where Riley later died.

(UPDATED November 11, 2026 19:06 UTC)

A speeding crash near Apple’s Cupertino headquarters killed two-year-old Riley Howard and seriously injured her babysitter. Prosecutors charged driver Eric Chen Su with murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Investigators say Su exceeded 90 miles per hour in a 30-mile-per-hour zone before striking a stopped car.