Yavapai County Attorney: Uber not liable in deadly self-driving crash

TEMPE, Ariz. (FOX 10) - Uber will not be held criminally liable for a deadly crash involving one of its self-driving vehicles in Tempe.

In a statement, the Yavapai County Attorney's Office said, "After a very thorough review of all the evidence presented, this Office has determined that there is no basis for criminal liability for the Uber corporation arising from this matter."

The Yavapai County Attorney's Office agreed to accept the case for a charging decision only due to a conflict of interest between Uber and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

The deadly crash happened almost a year ago on March 18, 2018, near Mill Ave and Curry in Tempe. Elaine Herzberg, 49, was hit and killed by an Uber self-driving car while she was crossing the street with her bicycle. The driver, Rafaela Vasquez, 44, called 911 immediately.

YCAO also stated they recommend an expert analysis of the video of the accident to determine what and when the person sitting in the driver's seat would or should have seen that night given the circumstances.

The case is being returned to Tempe Police and the Maricopa County Attorney's office.

Uber has declined to comment.