Uber is not criminally liable in a March 2018 crash in Tempe, Arizona, in which one of the company's self-driving cars struck and killed a pedestrian, according to prosecutors.
Uber is not criminally liable for a 2018 crash in Arizona in which a pedestrian died after being struck by one of the company's self-driving vehicles.
That's according to prosecutors in Arizona's Yavapai County, who said in a letter there was quote "no basis for criminal liability" for Uber in the March 2018 crash.
But, it did say that the back-up drive, Rafaela Vasquez, should be referred to police for further investigation.
The decision by prosecutors not to pursue criminal charges.
Removes one potential legal roadblock for Uber ahead of a hotly anticipated IPO this year.
The fatal crash involved a Volvo SUV that Uber was using to test self-driving technology.
Uber's struggled to recover from the accident, its autonomous vehicle testing program remaining low-key.
The ride-hailing company lost more than 3 billion dollars last year and is betting on a transition to self-driving cars to eliminate paying drivers.
The incident also forced other companies to temporarily halt their own self-driving tests.
Vasquez, who was in the driver's seat during the crash while the vehicle drove itself, may face charges of vehicular manslaughter.
That's according to a police report from last year.
Based on a video from inside the self-driving car and records collected from the streaming service Hulu, police said that Vasquez was looking down and watching an episode of "The Voice" on a phone.
Vasquez looked up moments before hitting 49-year old Elaine Herzberg.
Police called the incident quote "entirely avoidable".
The NTSB and Highway safety authorities are still investigating.
An Uber spokesperson declined to comment on the prosecutors' letter.
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The Yavapai County Attorney reviewed the case due to a previous partnership between Uber and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
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