TEMPE, Arizona – Uber has halted its self-driving car tests in North America after a woman died of her injuries after being struck by one of the ride-hailing company’s autonomous vehicle on Monday.
It’s believed to be the first fatal accident involving a self-driving car.
Uber CEO Darta Khosrowshahi tweeted that the news was “incredibly sad”.
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
In a tweet, Uber expressed its condolences and said the company was fully cooperating with authorities.
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
Tempe Police said a human monitor was behind the wheel of the car when the accident happened, but it was in autonomous mode.
“The vehicle was travelling northbound … when a female walking outside of the crosswalk crossed the road from west to east when she was struck by the Uber vehicle,” the police said in a statement.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the National Transport Safety Board are sending teams to Tempe to investigate.
