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Uber Self-Driving Car Kills Pedestrian


On the night of March 18, a self-driving vehicle struck a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona.

The woman was attempting to cross the street when the crash occurred, and passed away after being transported to a local medical facility.

Though a driver using Tesla's advanced auto-pilot feature passed away in a 2016 crash, this marks the first known pedestrian fatality involving a self-driving vehicle. As a result, Arizona governor Doug Ducey has suspended tests of autonomous cars on the state's roads until further notice.

Emails obtained after the incident suggest the governor was allowing Uber to test their vehicles in the state without informing the public.

Uber executive Lior Ron has stepped down amid the controversy. Even business partners like Nvidia are distancing themselves from Uber because of the accident.

The company is facing flack for reportedly removing several sensors from their self-driving vehicles prior to testing. Though Uber hasn't released an official statement, they've reportedly been cooperating with authorities investigating the crash and have already reached a settlement with the victim's family.

The transportation giant took a big step into the autonomous sector when it purchased self-driving startup Otto back in 2016.

What do you think about self-driving cars? Will Uber and other companies in the autonomous race ever gain mainstream acceptance? Be sure to follow us on Facebook for more news about business and technology!

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