US agency eyes fatal crash involving self-driving car

The National Transportation Safety Board is moving to determine the probable cause of the first fatal crash involving a self-driving vehicle. Elaine Herzberg died in March 2018 when an Uber vehicle struck her as she walked across a darkened street in Tempe, Arizona. The board will meet Nov. 19 as part of its efforts. A preliminary report by the board said the Uber autonomous driving system spotted Herzberg before hitting her but a system used to automatically apply brakes in potentially dangerous situations had been disabled.

Authorities say records show the backup driver was streaming a television show on her phone in the moments before the crash.  Prosecutors declined to file charges against Uber, as a corporation, in Herzberg’s death, but they’re still considering whether to charge the driver.