After one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a high-impact crash in Tempe, Ariz., Uber announced that it is suspending its self-driving program, Bloomberg reported. Officials said the Uber SUV was operating on its own when it was struck by another vehicle making a left turn at an intersection, the Associated Press added.
A photo from the crash site showed the Uber vehicle on its side, but no one was seriously injured.
BREAKING: Self-driving Uber vehicle on it’s side after a collision in Tempe, AZ.
— Fresco News (@fresconews) March 25, 2017
Photos by @fresconews user Mark Beach pic.twitter.com/5NCF2KG0rW
An Uber spokesperson confirmed the veracity of the photo.
Tempe police information officer Josie Montenegro said the Uber vehicle was not responsible for the accident.
"There was a person behind the wheel," said Montenegro regarding the Uber vehicle. "It is uncertain at this time if they were controlling the vehicle at the time of the collision."
An Uber spokeswoman said "we are continuing to look into this incident and can confirm we had no backseat passengers in the vehicle."
News of the accident surfaces after Uber has already experienced issues with launching its self-driving car program. In December, the California Department of Motor Vehicles banned autonomous cars from San Fransisco's streets.
