Case tracker · Autonomous & assisted driving
State of Arizona v. Rafaela Vasquez
- AI system / company
- Uber Advanced Technologies Group self-driving system (Volvo XC90)
- Jurisdiction
- United States (Arizona)
- Court / regulator
- Maricopa County Superior Court, Arizona
- Status
- Settled
What happened
In March 2018, pedestrian Elaine Herzberg was struck and killed by an Uber autonomous test vehicle in Tempe — the first known pedestrian death involving a self-driving car. Safety driver Rafaela Vasquez, found by the NTSB to have been distracted, was charged with negligent homicide in 2020 and in 2023 pleaded guilty to endangerment, receiving three years of supervised probation. Uber was not criminally charged.
About autonomous & assisted driving cases
Injuries and deaths involving self-driving systems and driver-assist features (Autopilot), and the product-liability questions they raise.
Sources
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Related cases
- Benavides Leon v. Tesla, Inc. (Ruling issued)
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