Uber has put an immediate stop to its self-driving vehicles after one of its cars struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona early Monday morning. ABC affiliate KNXV reported that the car had a human operator behind the wheel when the car was driving but was in autonomous mode.
A woman was talking on a crosswalk when she was struck by Uber’s self-driving car and she later died at the hospital due to the injuries she had sustained in the accident. Uber has said that it’s working with the local authorities.
This may not be the first fatal accident involving a self-driving car, but it appears to be the first that has resulted in the death fo a pedestrian. “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family,” Uber tweeted today.
A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board notified us that the agency is sending a team to Tempe to investigate this incident.
Our hearts go out to the victim’s family. We’re fully cooperating with @TempePolice and local authorities as they investigate this incident.
— Uber Comms (@Uber_Comms) March 19, 2018
Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. We’re thinking of the victim’s family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened. https://t.co/cwTCVJjEuz
— dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) March 19, 2018
