TEMPE, ARIZONA — A female pedestrian was struck and killed by an Uber autonomous vehicle in Tempe on Sunday night.
The fatality is believed to be the first known death by an autonomous test vehicle.
The company has halted self-driving tests in Tempe, San Francisco, Pittsburgh and Toronto.
The crash occurred near Mill Avenue and Curry Road around 10 p.m., according to police.
The Uber vehicle was reportedly traveling northbound at around 40 mph when a woman walking a bicycle outside of the crosswalk was struck.
The woman, 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, was transported to the hospital where she died from her injuries, according to ABC 15.
Tempe Police say the SUV was in autonomous mode and vehicle operator, 44-year-old Rafaela Vasquez, was behind the wheel at the time of the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board is opening an investigation and sending investigators to Tempe.
