Speed was a ‘considerable factor’ in Cupertino crash that killed a young child, sheriff says
The man arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter is a 38-year-old Santa Clara resident, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Speed was a “considerable factor” in the Nov. 6 crash in Cupertino that killed a young child, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said Monday. The office said the man arrested in the crash is a 38-year-old Santa Clara resident.
The two-car crash happened shortly after noon Friday at North Tantau and Pruneridge avenues, next to Apple’s headquarters. A woman and the child were seriously hurt and taken to a hospital, where the child died, the office said. The driver of the other car had minor injuries, was treated and released, and was then arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter, a felony for a death caused by driving far more carelessly than ordinary negligence.
He has been arrested, not charged. The Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office decides whether to file charges, and the Sheriff’s Office has not said whether the case has been sent to prosecutors.
NBC Bay Area reported that a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said investigators will examine the event data recorder, often called a black box, in the suspect’s car to learn how fast it was going. KRON4 reported that investigators are waiting for lab results to show whether alcohol or drugs played a role. The Sheriff’s Office has not posted either detail itself.
The Sheriff’s Office patrols Cupertino under a contract with the city. Witnesses can call the office’s crash investigation team at 408-868-6637.
Source: Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office update on X, Nov. 9, 2026; Sheriff’s Office news release, Nov. 6, 2026.