Arizona prosecutors have determined Uber Technologies Inc. bears no criminal responsibility for a 2018 incident in Tempe where a self-driving vehicle struck and killed a pedestrian. The Yavapai County Attorney’s office stated in a letter that no criminal charges could be filed against the company, though it recommended further scrutiny of the back-up driver’s conduct.
The letter cited conflicting evidence regarding the crash, including video footage that investigators deemed potentially unreliable. It emphasized the need for expert analysis to reconcile the driver’s perspective with environmental factors like speed and lighting conditions. The back-up driver, Rafael Vasquez, was reportedly watching a television show on her phone moments before the collision, according to police reports.
A separate investigation by the Maricopa County Attorney’s office was transferred due to a conflict of interest. Both the National Transportation Safety Board and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration continue probing the incident. Uber suspended its self-driving program after the crash but resumed limited testing in Pittsburgh in December 2018.
