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Incident · Fatality

Uber ATG self-driving test vehicle struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona - the first pedestrian death caused by an autonomous vehicle (2018)

On March 18, 2018, a Volvo XC90 operated by Uber Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) in autonomous mode struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg, 49, as she crossed a road in Tempe, Arizona. A human safety operator, Rafaela Vasquez, was aboard as required for the developmental automated driving system (ADS) but was not watching the road at the moment of the collision.

The NTSB (docket HWY18MH010, report HAR-19/03) found the ADS failed to correctly classify Herzberg and the operator's inattention as immediate causes, with Uber ATG's inadequate safety culture contributing. Vasquez later pleaded guilty to endangerment (2023). Operational class: ads_testing_with_operator - autonomous mode engaged with a human safety monitor aboard, the boundary between driverless ADS (no human aboard) and driver-assist ADAS (a human driving). This is the first pedestrian fatality caused by an autonomous vehicle on the verified record.

Occurred 2018-03-18 · Uber ATG Self-Driving Vehicle (Volvo XC90) at United States (multiple hotel chains) · Uber ATG · United States (multiple hotel chains) · Robotaxis

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Incident records on DEPLOY are compiled from public sources (regulatory filings, news reports, and operator disclosures) and reflect what has been reported and tracked to date. They are not legal findings, determinations of fault, or safety ratings, and may be updated as new information is verified. See the sources below for the underlying references.
Track Uber ATG self-driving test vehicle struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona - the first pedestrian death caused by an autonomous vehicle (2018)

Machine-readable surfaces

Sources (2)

  1. NTSB Highway Accident Report HAR-19/03 (docket HWY18MH010), Tempe AZ, March 18 2018 · https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HAR1903.pdf · 2019-11-19
  2. NTSB Board Meeting HWY18MH010 (Nov 19 2019) · https://www.ntsb.gov/news/events/Pages/2019-HWY18MH010-BMG.aspx · 2019-11-19

Common questions

What happened in Uber ATG self-driving test vehicle struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona - the first pedestrian death caused by an autonomous vehicle (2018)?
On March 18, 2018, a Volvo XC90 operated by Uber Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) in autonomous mode struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg, 49, as she crossed a road in Tempe, Arizona. A human safety operator, Rafaela Vasquez, was aboard as required for the developmental automated driving system (ADS) but was not watching the road at the moment of the collision. The NTSB (docket HWY18MH010, report HAR-19/03) found the ADS failed to correctly classify Herzberg and the operator's inattention as immediate causes, with Uber ATG's inadequate safety culture contributing. Vasquez later pleaded guilty to endangerment (2023). Operational class: ads_testing_with_operator - autonomous mode engaged with a human safety monitor aboard, the boundary between driverless ADS (no human aboard) and driver-assist ADAS (a human driving). This is the first pedestrian fatality caused by an autonomous vehicle on the verified record.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on March 18, 2018 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
What robot was involved in Uber ATG self-driving test vehicle struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona - the first pedestrian death caused by an autonomous vehicle (2018)?
Uber ATG Self-Driving Vehicle (Volvo XC90) by Uber ATG is the recorded robot involved in this incident at United States (multiple hotel chains).
Has anyone responded to Uber ATG self-driving test vehicle struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona - the first pedestrian death caused by an autonomous vehicle (2018)?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of Uber ATG self-driving test vehicle struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona - the first pedestrian death caused by an autonomous vehicle (2018)?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (2 primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-22

Verification posture

Verified

High confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-22

Sources by quality tier

2
primary-government-record
Government record

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Uber ATG self-driving test vehicle struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona - the first pedestrian death caused by an autonomous vehicle (2018).

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Canonical ID a3661a43-71d5-4e45-b2b4-bc3ef33154aa