Death of Elaine Herzberg
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Elaine Herzberg | |
|---|---|
| Died | |
| Known for | First known pedestrian to be killed by an autonomous motor car |
Elaine Herzberg is the first known pedestrian to be killed by an autonomous vehicle. Herzberg, who was pushing a bicycle across a six-lane road in Tempe, Arizona, U.S., was hit by the car at about 10 p.m. MST (UTC-7) on March 18, 2018. The car, an Uber Volvo XC90 taxi, was operating in self-drive mode and with a human safety backup driver sitting in the driving seat.[1][2][3]
A Washington Post reporter compared Herzberg's fate with that of Bridget Driscoll, who in 1896 became the first pedestrian to be killed by an automobile in the United Kingdom.[4]
According to a preliminary police investigation, the car was traveling at 38 mph (61 km/h) in a 35 mph (56 km/h) zone, and did not attempt to brake.[5] The backup human driver also did not apply the brakes. Herzberg was struck while the vehicle was operating in autonomous mode.[6]
Herzberg was a mother residing in Arizona who had graduated from Apache Junction High School in 1985.
See also
- Mary Ward, the first person known to have been killed by an automobile
- Bridget Driscoll, first pedestrian death by automobile in United Kingdom
- Henry H. Bliss, first automobile death in the Americas
References
- ^ Pavia, Will (March 21, 2018). "Driverless Uber car 'not to blame' for woman's death". The Times. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ Wakabayashi, Daisuke (March 19, 2018). "Self-Driving Uber Car Kills Pedestrian in Arizona, Where Robots Roam". New York Times. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ "Video shows moment of fatal Uber crash". 22 March 2018 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ Kunkle, Fredrick (March 22, 2018). "Fatal crash with self-driving car was a first — like Bridget Driscoll's was 121 years ago with one of the first cars". Washington Post. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ Gibson, Kate (March 20, 2018). "Arizona police: Pedestrian stepped in front of self-driving Uber before crash". CBS News. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ White, Jeremy (2018-03-20). "Police identify first pedestrian killed by self-driving car". The Independent.