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Arizona Governor Halts Public AV Testing

Citing public safety concerns, Gov. Doug Ducey suspended autonomous vehicle testing in the state for an unspecified amount of time.

(TNS) — The Arizona governor on Monday suspended Uber’s fleet of self-driving cars in the state after one of the vehicles hit and killed a woman last week.

Gov. Doug Ducey ordered the state's Department of Transportation to halt the Silicon Valley giant’s autonomous operations after watching “disturbing and alarming” video of the March 18 crash in suburban Phoenix.

“Improving public safety has always been the emphasis of Arizona’s approach to autonomous vehicle testing, and my expectation is that public safety is also the top priority for all who operate this technology in the state of Arizona,” Ducey said in a letter to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi.

“The incident that took place on March 18 is an unquestionable failure to comply with this expectation,” the governor added.

Elaine Herzberg, 49, was the first fatality involving a self-driving vehicle. She was hit by the Volvo SUV and killed while walking across a dark Tempe street with her bicycle.

The Uber was staffed by a backup driver who could be seen looking down seconds before the crash, according to video released by Tempe authorities.

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