Arizona woman in self-driving Uber charged with negligent homicide in fatal 2018 crash
An Uber driver watching “The Voice" behind the wheel of a self-driving SUV when it fatally struck a pedestrian in Arizona in 2018 has been charged with negligent homicide.
Rafaela Vasquez, 46, pleaded not guilty Tuesday after the Maricopa County grand jury’s indictment was unsealed.
“Distracted driving is an issue of great importance in our community,” County Attorney Allister Adel said in a statement. “When a driver gets behind the wheel of a car, they have a responsibility to control and operate that vehicle safely and in a law-abiding manner.”
Vasquez was watching the reality singing competition show on one of her two cell phones around 10 p.m. on March 18 while the self-driving vehicle cruised through Tempe at about 43 mph, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
As Vasquez crossed a bridge, a pedestrian, 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, walked across the street in the opposite direction.
By the time the car registered Herzberg, it was too late and the car did not have the technological ability to slam on its brakes in an emergency. Only Vasquez, who had not been paying attention, could stop the vehicle.
Tempe Detective Kasey Marsland called the fatal crash “entirely avoidable" in the accountability report, according to the Arizona Republic.
Uber, which declined to comment when reached by the Daily News, faced no charges in the crash.
If convicted, Vasquez faces four to eight years behind bars.
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