Traveling between 90 and 100 miles per hour, a driver in Cupertino, California, killed a toddler in a fatal crash, leading to murder charges, according to The Mercury News.
The collision occurred near the intersection of North Tantau and Pruneridge avenues on Friday just north of Apple Park Way and Apple Inc. headquarters, as reported by CBS News.
Eric Chen Su, an Apple employee, drove a black Toyota Camry northbound on Tantau Avenue and rear-ended a stopped Chevrolet Trax, according to CBS News.
Su did not apply his brakes before impact in a 30-mph zone at a speed that was roughly four times the posted limit, per New York Post and The Mercury News. Evidence showed his speedometer was stuck at 100 mph after the collision, according to CBS News.
The impact caused the victim’s vehicle to catch fire, according to Us Weekly. Bystanders pulled the occupants from the burning vehicle, according to New York Post. Inside the car were a woman serving as a babysitter and a two-year-old girl, Riley Howard of San Jose, who was properly restrained in a car seat, according to CBS News and Culver Legal.
Both occupants of the Chevrolet Trax sustained serious injuries and went to a hospital, where Riley died, according to New York Post and The Mercury News. The adult victim survived with head and spinal injuries, while the driver of the Camry sustained minor injuries, including a broken finger, according to CBS News and The Mercury News.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy for everyone affected,” Captain Neil Valenzuela of the West Valley Patrol Division said in a statement.
Su was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter by the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, according to Us Weekly. On Tuesday, November 10, 2026, he appeared in a Palo Alto courtroom in a wheelchair and faced charges of murder and assault with a deadly weapon, according to New York Post and Demokratis.co.id.
The criminal complaint alleges that Su personally inflicted great bodily injury during the assault, that the victims were vulnerable, and that his actions involved a high degree of cruelty, according to CBS News and The Mercury News.
“Unquestionably, murder was the appropriate charge,” said Rob Baker, Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney.
Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Rob Baker said, adding,
“The speedometer in his vehicle appeared to have been frozen at 100 at the time of the collision.” District Attorney Rob Baker
Police reports said that the crash took place when Tantau Avenue was busy with traffic leaving the Apple campus for lunch, and said that Su should have known the conditions and the speed limit. There were no signs of drug or alcohol impairment, but family statements indicated a history of mental health concerns, according to a deputy’s report cited by CBS News.
Our hearts are broken by the tragic accident that happened outside of Apple Park Visitor Center. Our thoughts are with all of those grieving, and we are grateful for the care and support of the first responders. An Apple
Riley Howard was the youngest child of a family connected to Santa Clara County Firefighters, who organized a fundraiser to support the toddler’s mother, Alaina Brenner Howard, according to Us Weekly.
Su’s next court hearing is scheduled for November 30, 2026, according to Us Weekly.