Arizona is suspending Uber’s ability to test its self-driving cars in the state.
The suspension of testing for Uber comes after one of the company’s self-driving cars struck and killed a pedestrian last week. The order to halt the tests comes from Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in a letter sent to company CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.
Uber is complying with the order and is pulling all of its self-driving cars off the streets. The company notes that it has already suspended tests of self-driving cars across the country following the accident.
The accident involving one of Uber’s self-driving cars is currently under investigation by the Tempe Police Department and the National Transportation Safety Board. The ride-sharing company notes that it is helping investigators with their work, reports CNN
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The person that was struck and killed by Uber’s self-driving car was 49-year-old Elaine Herzber. The woman was hit by the car at around 10:00 p.m. last Sunday. There was a driver behind the wheel of the car, but they weren’t in control when the accident occurred.
The test driver behind the Uber self-driving car was 44-year-old Rafael Vasquez. Vasquez was warned by the self-driving system to take control of the car prior to the wreck, but didn’t do so. She also previously served almost four years in prison on charges of attempted armed robbery and unsworn falsification.
Uber isn’t the only company that is testing self-driving cars in Arizona. However, it is the only one that this new ban applies to. This means other companies will still have self-driving cars on the road.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
