Tempe police release body cam footage, photos from deadly Uber crash

TEMPE, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Police have released body cam footage, photos, and a report from their investigation when a woman was hit and killed by a self-driving Uber car in Tempe earlier this year.

The deadly collision happened on March 18 near Mill Avenue and Curry when 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg was hit and killed by an Uber self-driving car while she was crossing the street with her bicycle, in what was the first deadly crash involving a self-driving car.

The newly-released body cam video shows officers talking to the driver of the self-driving car, 44-year-old Rafaela Vasquez, who was still seated in the car.

Previously released video showed that Vasquez was looking down moments before the deadly crash and according to the newly-released 300-page police report, Vasquez was streaming "The Voice" on Hulu on a cellphone at the time of the crash.

A search warrant by police of Vasquez's cellphone showed three different streaming services present and showed Vasquez was watching "The Voice" on Hulu at 9:45 p.m.

The deadly crash happened just minutes later at 10 p.m.

Pictures just released from the scene of the crash show Herzberg's bicycle, which she was walking with in the roadway before the crash. The pictures also show front-end damage to the Uber car.

Police say Vasquez called 911 immediately after the crash and a field-sobriety test conducted at the scene determined Vasquez was not impaired.

The self-driving Uber car was in autonomous mode, but according to the police report, the crash may not have happened if Vasquez would have been watching the road.

Tempe police have referred the case to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for possible charges.