Uber suspended from testing self-driving cars in Arizona
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey suspended Uber from testing autonomous vehicles in the state on Monday after a self-driving car fatally struck a woman last week.
The Republican governor, in a letter to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, ordered the Arizona Department of Transportation to suspend the company's self-driving testing.
Ducey said he found recent dashcam footage released of the crash "disturbing and alarming," adding that "it raises many questions about the ability of Uber to continue testing in Arizona."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The camera footage released on Wednesday by the Tempe Police Department showed both exterior and interior angles of the car ride leading up to the moment the pedestrian, identified as Elaine Herzberg, 49, was hit.
UBER'S SELF-DRIVING CAR ACCIDENT LATEST HIT TO RIDE-SHARE'S REPUTATION
The incident, Ducey said, "is an unquestionable failure to comply" with the expectation of public safety being a "top priority for all who operate this technology in the state."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Uber tweeted in response that the company "proactively suspended self-driving operations in all cities immediately following the tragic incident last week," and added it's working with investigators "in any way we can."
The company previously said in a statement it found the dashcam video "disturbing and heartbreaking to watch."
The interior video shows the car's driver, Rafaela Vasquez, 44, buckled in behind the wheel of the vehicle — which police said was moving around 40 miles per hour around 10 p.m. on March 18.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While the Volvo XC90 SUV was in self-driving mode, Vasquez was in the car as a safety driver, who, in the event there was a malfunction or issue, could take control.
In the moments before the car struck Herzberg, Vasquez is seen repeatedly looking down, seemingly toward the console area of the car, until she suddenly looks shocked at the pedestrian in front of her.
Exterior video shows the Uber car driving at night when the vehicle's headlights suddenly illuminate Herzberg, who is walking her bike in the street, outside of any crosswalks.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Paramedics rushed Herzberg to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries. Police have said neither Herzberg nor Vasquez showed signs of impairment in the crash, and Vasquez has been cooperating in their investigation.
The incident was the first fatality involving a self-driving vehicle.
Fox News' Stephen Sorace and The Associated Press contributed to this report.