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posted by martyb on Saturday June 23 2018, @03:41PM   Printer-friendly
from the unfortunate dept.

According to this article on MSN:

Police in Tempe, Arizona said evidence showed the "safety" driver behind the wheel of a self-driving Uber was distracted and streaming a television show on her phone right up until about the time of a fatal accident in March, deeming the crash that rocked the nascent industry "entirely avoidable."

A 318-page report from the Tempe Police Department, released late on Thursday in response to a public records request, said the driver, Rafaela Vasquez, repeatedly looked down and not at the road, glancing up just a half second before the car hit 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, who was crossing the street at night.

According to the report, Vasquez could face charges of vehicle manslaughter. Police said that, based on testing, the crash was "deemed entirely avoidable" if Vasquez had been paying attention.

Police obtained records from Hulu, an online service for streaming television shows and movies, which showed Vasquez's account was playing the television talent show "The Voice" the night of the crash for about 42 minutes, ending at 9:59 p.m., which "coincides with the approximate time of the collision," the report says.

It is not clear if Vasquez will be charged, and police submitted their findings to county prosecutors, who will make the determination.


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  • (Score: 2, Offtopic) by frojack on Saturday June 23 2018, @04:49PM (3 children)

    by frojack (1554) on Saturday June 23 2018, @04:49PM (#697229) Journal

    I know its all the rage these days to be gender fluid, but the police said the safety driver was a she.

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  • (Score: 0, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 23 2018, @07:10PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday June 23 2018, @07:10PM (#697314)

    which is particularly annoying, because it would not be politically correct to emphasize that we're dealing with a woman driver here.

  • (Score: 2) by Gaaark on Saturday June 23 2018, @09:08PM (1 child)

    by Gaaark (41) on Saturday June 23 2018, @09:08PM (#697346) Journal

    Damn, dog!
    I thought a SECOND uber car must have hit poor Elaine, because i would have testified the first driver was a man.

    D.A.M.N!

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    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 24 2018, @02:01PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Sunday June 24 2018, @02:01PM (#697556)

      > i would have testified the first driver was a man.
      i would have testified the first driver was male.

      To be a man, he would have to man-up and apologize publicly(?)