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In fresh developments in the Uber autonomous crash case, a senior cop with Tempe Police, Arizona, has hinted that the taxi aggregator may not be at fault.
Tempe Police Chief Sylvia Moir in an interview to the Chronicle said: "Prima facie, it appears that Uber would likely not be at fault in this accident,” adding that she does not rule out the potential to file charges against the backup driver as well.
The Police Department recently released footage of the crash, which reveals two views - one from the inside of the car and the other one of the backup driver who was behind the wheels just before the crash took place.
The victim, Elaine Herzberg, 49, can be seen pushing her bicycle in the middle of the road and suddenly emerged from the darkness.
Moir added that it was too soon for the driver to react. “The driver said it was like a flash; the person walked out in front of them,” she said. “His first alert to the collision was the sound of the collision.”
What is the case all about?
The accident took place on Sunday at around 10 pm local time in Tempe, Arizona when a female pedestrian crossing the street was struck by a self-driving car. The injured woman was later taken to the hospital where she died.
According to preliminary investigation police have found out that the car was travelling at a speed of 38 mph (about 61 kph), which was above the permitted speed limit on the street of 35 mph. However, a Google Street View shot last year clearly shows the speed limit was set at 45 mph, which means the autonomous car was travelling well below the maximum permitted speed limit.
Police said, at the time of the crash the car was in autonomous mode and the car’s operator (backup driver) 44-year-old Rafaela Vasquez was behind the wheel.
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