Apple iPod Engineering Manager Tragically Killed After Being Hit By A Truck While Riding His Horse

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Skip Haughay and his horse, Regal Bull
Allen 'Skip' Haughay and his prized horse, Regal Bull.

It was a tragic week in Cupertino as Allen “Skip” Haughay — a popular iPod engineer and six-year Apple veteran — was struck and killed by a truck in San Jose, California while riding his cherished horse, Regal Bull.

The accident happened on Saturday when Haughay, 48, was riding his horse on a way to a party half a mile away from his farm. Both he and his horse were struck by a GMC pickup truck driven by Blaine Beck, 58.

Beck — who was driving sober — says that he simply didn’t see Haughay or the 1,200 pound horse until it was too late to stop, possibly due to the late hour at which Haughay was traveling… around 8:20pm, or dusk. Beck has not been charged.

Haughay and Regal Bull both died on the scene from their injuries.

Skip Haughay (third from right) helped launch the original iPod Touch in 2007.

Haughay joined Apple back in 2006 to work as an iPod Engineering Manager. Describing the position as the “dream job of a lifetime,” Haughay helped launch the iPod Touch in 2007, alongside the iPod Nano (third-gen) and sixth-gen iPod Classic… a device that has gone untouched for the last four years.

Privately, Haughay’s great passion was horses. He owned three horses, including Regal Bull, which seems to have been his personal favorite.

Haughay is survived by his parents, sister and his partner, Abel Urbina, as well as hundreds of colleagues at Apple who had grown to love him over the years.

Funeral services for Haughay are set for today from 11am to 1pm at Oak Hill Funeral Home in San Jose.

According to his partner, both Regal Bull and Haughay will be cremated and their ashes buried on their farm.

Cult of Mac would like to express its deepest sympathies to Haughay’s family, loved ones and friends in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy. Apple will no doubt carry on, but by all accounts, it lost a particularly kind, serene and beautiful member of its family this week.

Rest in peace, Skip.

Skip’s personal Me.com website.

Skip’s Linkedin profile.

Skip’s Facebook profile.

Skips Twitter feed.

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