Self-Driving Car Crash: Uber suspends self-driving car tests after deadly pedestrian accident

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Ride-sharing giant Uber is halting its self-driving car tests in the United States and Canada, after a deadly pedestrian accident. This isn't the first time the company's autonomous cars have crashed. The same program was temporarily suspended a year ago -- after a car collided with an Uber vehicle. But as CGTN's Jim Spellman reports, Uber says safety is a top priority.

JIM SPELLMAN WASHINGTON DC "The incident happened Sunday night in Tempe, Arizona. According to police, the car was operating in autonomous or self-driving mode, but there was a person in the driver's seat at the time of the collision."

Video of the crash scene shows damage to the front of the Uber vehicle and a bicycle with a bent wheel nearby. The victim was a 49-year-old woman who police say was walking outside the crosswalk at the time of the crash. She was transported to an area hospital where she died from her injuries. According to Uber, there were no passengers in the vehicle, just the operator in the driver's seat.

It's not clear how fast the Uber vehicle was going or if it was breaking any laws at the time of the crash. Tempe police won't say if they anticipate charges being filed.

In a statement, Uber says:

"Our hearts go out to the victim's family. We are fully cooperating with authorities in their investigation of this incident." -- Uber Spokesperson

And Uber's CEO added this on Twitter: "Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. We're thinking of the victim's family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened."

Uber says it's suspending testing of self-driving vehicles in the Tempe area plus two other U.S. cities and Toronto, Canada. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board has sent a team to investigate the crash.

JIM SPELLMAN WASHINGTON DC "Autonomous vehicles in the U.S. are governed by a patchwork of state level rules and laws. Regulators will likely take this crash into consideration as they craft policy around the future of driverless cars. Jim Spellman, CGTN, Washington."