Uber Self-Driving Vehicle Causes First Recorded Pedestrian Fatality in Arizona
Elaine Herzberg dies after an Uber test vehicle strikes her in Tempe, marking the first pedestrian fatality involving a self-driving car. The incident prompts widespread safety investigations and a temporary halt to the company's autonomous testing programs.
Elaine Herzberg dies in Tempe, Arizona, after a self-driving Uber test vehicle strikes her as she pushes a bicycle across a four-lane road. This tragic event marks the first recorded pedestrian fatality involving an autonomous car, occurring while a human safety backup driver sits behind the wheel but fails to prevent the collision. Herzberg suffers severe injuries and passes away at a local hospital.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigates the crash and issues sharp criticisms against Uber for its safety failures. In response to the fatal incident, Uber immediately suspends all self-driving vehicle testing in Arizona and allows its California testing permit to expire. The company eventually resumes its autonomous vehicle operations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in December 2018 after implementing new safety protocols.
Legal consequences unfold over the following year as Arizona prosecutors determine that Uber holds no criminal responsibility for the collision. However, authorities charge the human safety backup driver with negligent homicide. The driver ultimately pleads guilty to a lesser charge of endangerment and receives a sentence of three years of probation.