Riley Kathryn Howard died after a Toyota Camry traveling nearly 100 mph rear-ended a stopped car outside Apple headquarters on Nov. 6, 2026, according to ABC7 San Francisco.
Prosecutors charged 38-year-old Eric Chen Su with murder and assault with a deadly weapon in a Palo Alto courtroom on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office said that Su was driving four times the posted 30 mph speed limit when he struck the vehicle.
The collision occurred at 12:01 p.m. at the intersection of North Tantau and Pruneridge avenues near the Apple Park Visitor Center, according to a Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office statement of facts cited by KTVU. The victim’s vehicle, a Chevrolet, was stopped at a red light when it was struck from behind.
Investigators said that the Camry did not apply its brakes before impact. The vehicle’s speedometer was found frozen at 100 mph following the collision, according to CBS News. The impact caused the Chevrolet to catch fire.
The toddler was properly restrained in a child safety seat, according to CBS News, but sustained fatal injuries.
The adult victim suffered serious head and spinal injuries.
Court documents identify Su as an Apple employee who worked at the Cupertino site. Prosecutors said that the crash happened during a busy lunch hour when pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle traffic increases around the campus.
“A reasonable person would know this time of day was busier than normal,” investigators wrote in the sheriff’s statement of facts published by KTVU.
Witnesses described Su’s behavior immediately after the collision as erratic and insensible, according to The Mercury News. Police reports stated he showed no remorse when informed of the toddler’s death.
Family statements indicated a history of mental health concerns, though deputies found no signs of drug or alcohol impairment, according to CBS News. It remains unclear whether Su was on his lunch break at the time of the crash, KTVU reported.
Su appeared in court in a wheelchair on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026, without entering a plea. Prosecutors added enhancements alleging the victims were particularly vulnerable and that the assault involved a high degree of cruelty, The Mercury News reported.
“Unquestionably, murder was the appropriate charge,” said Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Rob Baker, according to ABC7 San Francisco.
His next court hearing is scheduled for Nov. 30, 2026, according to ABC7 San Francisco.