Uber puts brakes on self-driving car operation in Arizona

Uber is ending its operation of self-driving cars in Arizona more than two months after a woman was struck and killed by one of its vehicles.

The company notified about 300 workers Wednesday that their positions would be terminated. At the company's self-driving car center in Tempe on Wednesday, workers walked away without comment.

Uber previously suspended operations of autonomous vehicles following the March 18 accident in which a 49-year-old woman was hit while crossing the street in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe.

The vehicle was in self-driving mode with a human backup driver at the wheel.

In 2016, Governor Doug Ducey welcomed Uber's self-driving cars, as they arrived from California. On Wednesday, Gov. Ducey's office released the following statement on Uber's decision to end its self-driving operation in Arizona:

"The governor's focus has always been on what's best for Arizonans and for public safety, not for any one company. The suspension of Uber's self-driving vehicle testing remains in place pending the outcome of federal investigations."

The ride-sharing service said in a prepared statement that it remains focused on a "top-to-bottom safety review" and will now focus more efforts on its engineering hubs in Pittsburgh and San Francisco.

"We're committed to self-driving technology, and we look forward to returning to public roads in the near future. In the meantime, we remain focused on our top-to-bottom safety review, having brought on former NTSB Chair Christopher Hart to advise us on our overall safety culture."

The company says it revive self-driving cars in Pittsburgh this summer.

Uber spokeswoman Stephanie Sedlak says the decision does not impact 550 other Arizona employees.

Meanwhile, some say they are not sad Uber's self-driving cars are now off the road.

"Well, I just think it is a precautionary measure that should be taken," said Ivan Onate. "I wasn't too confident about those cars myself. They looked really nice, but they are still in that testing phase."

"I think self-driving cars are a little scary, a little dangerous sounding," said Lauren Slade. "I don't have a problem with them stopping it."