Why Wasn't Uber Charged in a Fatal Self-Driving Car Crash?

THE SAFETY DRIVER behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber that  struck and killed a woman in 2018 has been charged with a crime. Prosecutors in Maricopa County, Arizona, Tuesday said the driver, Rafaela Vasquez, has been indicted for criminal negligence. But Uber, her employer and the company that built the automated system involved in the fatal collision, won’t face charges.

The attorney for neighboring Yavapai County declined to prosecute Uber last year, writing in a letter that the office found “no basis for criminal liability.” (Yavapai took over the Uber part of the case because Maricopa County had worked with Uber on an anti-drunk-driving campaign.) Yavapai County attorney Sheila Polk declined to elaborate on her decision. A spokesperson for Uber declined to comment.

“Safety starts at the top,” NTSB chair Robert Sumwalt said. “The collision was the last link of a long chain of actions and decisions made by an organization that unfortunately did not make safety the top priority.”

Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/why-not-uber-charged-fatal-self-driving-car-crash/