Speedometer Stuck at 100 Mph, No Brakes: What Investigators Say About Fatal Crash Near Apple Park

An Apple employee has been charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon after a crash near Apple Park in Cupertino killed two-year-old Riley Kathryn Howard on Friday, 6 November.

Investigators say Eric Chen Su was driving a Toyota Camry at more than 90 mph when it struck a stopped vehicle. The charges are allegations, and Su has not been found guilty.

The collision happened at 12.01pm at North Tantau Avenue and Pruneridge Avenue, near Apple's visitor centre at Apple Park.

Investigators said the Camry's speedometer was found stuck at 100 mph after the crash, according to a statement of facts cited by KTVU. That reading does not establish the car's precise speed before impact.

What Investigators Say About the Apple Park Crash

Investigators said Su was driving north on Tantau Avenue when his black Camry struck the back of a stopped vehicle. He did not apply the brakes before impact, according to the statement. KTVU reported that the speed limit on the road was 30 mph (approx. 48.3 kph).

The finding that Su did not apply the brakes describes what investigators say happened before impact; it does not indicate that the Camry's brakes failed.

Riley was secured in a child car seat. She and a woman in the other vehicle were taken to hospital. Riley later died, while the woman suffered head and spinal injuries.

Reports have described the vehicle differently; KTVU called it a blue Chevrolet sedan, while CBS San Francisco later identified it as a Chevrolet Trax. The model has not been independently confirmed here, so the article refers to it as the other vehicle.

Investigators said video footage from Apple and witness accounts supported their finding that Su had been travelling at an unlawful and excessive speed. KTVU said it had not reviewed the footage, so the video evidence remains investigators' account of what they examined.

The speedometer reading is a notable detail, but it is not the only reported basis for the speed estimate. Investigators estimated the Camry's speed at over 90 mph, while KTVU reported that the posted limit was 30 mph (approx. 48.3 kph).

Crash Happened Around Lunchtime

Su worked at Apple's Cupertino site, investigators said. They noted that the crash occurred around lunchtime, when vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the area typically increases. Their statement said a reasonable person would have known the area was busier than normal at that time.

'A reasonable person would know this time of day was busier than normal,' investigators wrote, according to the statement. It was not clear whether Su was on his lunch break when the collision occurred.

Investigators said Su's speed demonstrated a total disregard for other people's safety. That is their characterisation of the evidence, not a finding of guilt. They also said video footage and witness accounts supported their conclusion that the Camry was travelling at an unlawful and excessive speed.

Su was initially arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter. On 10 November, he was charged with murder and assault with a deadly weapon, according to reports from ABC7 and CBS San Francisco. The charges do not establish that he committed the offences; the allegations will be addressed through the court process.