Video Shows Woman Stepped Suddenly in Front of Self-Driving Uber

[FarCenter]

A video recording from the Uber self-driving car that struck and killed a woman Sunday shows that she moved in front of it suddenly, a factor that investigators are likely to focus on as they assess the performance of the technology in the first pedestrian fatality involving an autonomous vehicle.

The Uber had a forward-facing video recorder, which showed the woman was walking a bike at about 10 p.m. and came from a darkened center median into traffic and "it’s very clear it would have been difficult to avoid this collision in any kind of mode,” Tempe, Arizona, police chief Sylvia Moir told the San Francisco Chronicle.

"The driver said it was like a flash, the person walked out in front of them," Moir said, referring to the back-up driver who was behind the wheel but not operating the vehicle. "His first alert to the collision was the sound of the collision."

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-20/video-shows-woman-stepped-suddenly-in-front-of-self-driving-uber


Self-driving Uber vehicle strikes, kills 49-year-old woman in Tempe

Uber and Tempe police initially provided different names for the vehicle operator.

Uber identified the driver as Rafaela Vasquez, 44. The company later clarified that the name provided by police is a name used on Vasquez's legal documents.

Court records show that Vasquez, under a different first name, has a criminal record including prison time for an attempted armed robbery conviction.

Herzberg was crossing Mill Avenue from west to east, according to Elcock.

A large median at the site of the crash has signs warning people not to cross mid-block and to instead use the crosswalk to the north at Curry. But the median also has a brick pathway that cuts through the desert landscaping that accommodates people who do cross at that site.

At a homeless camp off Mill Avenue and Lake View Drive near the crash, people said Monday that Herzberg was well liked.

They said that she had some family problems but they declined to give details. At least one person said that someone had picked up Herzberg’s personal belongings.

Court records show that Herzberg had been convicted on drug possession charges. In an April 2015 letter written by her husband to a judge, he said that Herzberg had been using drugs to “self medicate to deal with her depression” during the past 13 years.

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe-breaking/2018/03/19/woman-dies-fatal-hit-strikes-self-driving-uber-crossing-road-tempe/438256002/

[Hortensis]

1. So sad, but this is encouraging for the image of the technology.

Hopefully it will be fully borne out.

Ms. Herzberg's criminal record is irrelevant, also drug use if she was not under the influence when she died. Depression could also possibly contribute.

RIP.

[FarCenter]

4. When I commuted, the train would sometimes be delayed for "police activity on the tracks".

This was the euphemism used in the delay announcement when the police were cleaning up a suicide on the tracks.

[Hortensis]

7. Yes. I used to work in insurance and ran into that also.

I remember it was sometimes very hard for the train crew.

[NCTraveler]

2. Something similar recently happened in my area.

A person was walking on the side of the road and made an immediate move into the street. A car in the right lane struck and killed her. It was recorded by a gas stations security camera. Sad all the way around.

[yallerdawg]

3. We really are doomed...

when "AI" can anticipate irrational human behavior.

"It's not an easy thing to meet your maker." - Roy Batty, Blade Runner

[TheBlackAdder]

21. I swear by my Subaru EyeSight. It already saved me from a frontal crash that would have been my fault.

I spoke to another driver who was on a dim road and the car jammed on its brakes because a dear lept in front of the car, too quick for human reaction.

[marybourg]

5. I find this puzzling:

Court records show that Vasquez, under a different first name, has a criminal record including prison time for an attempted armed robbery conviction

How do they know that the court record about a person with the surname Vasquez, but a different first name, is the same person?

And why does that matter in this instance, anyway?

[FarCenter]

6. Mugshots, fingerprints, etc.

[NCTraveler]

8. I often have to find information on people...

Who have used aliases in the public sphere. That includes legal documents. We use DOB, SSN’s, previous address... to search and “confirm”. Not always easy without photos attached to each. As aliases are found they are reported to and listed by credit bureaus.

[marybourg]

9. One day after an event?

By a newspaper? With just a driver's license in the Rafael name? To make a definitive statement of criminal history?

Just as an aside, I had two childhood friends with the same last name who lived in the same apartment building (same address), AND were born on the same day, but were not related to each other at all (different countries of origin). It's a good thing there was no computer system then, or their lives would have been inextricably intertwined forever.

[NCTraveler]

11. Yes, one day after an event.

There are also a number of potential variables that would lead to your childhood friends not being linked.

"who lived in the same apartment building"

That alone would have been a red flag that would require more research.

About a month ago I was able to find out who a DU'er was who didn't plan on being known. All from one single post they made. I found out where they lived, mother father and siblings, interests, etc. It took all of five minutes. As I have done before I sent the information to the member and requested they be more careful. As with others, they were surprised as their lapse and what I was able to find from it.

[FSogol]

10. All part of the corporate process to help Uber wash their hands of killing someone again.

They want the meme to be: She had problems, so it isn't our fault.

[Codeine]

12. Thats a bit much, isnt it?

She stepped in front of a moving vehicle that didn’t have time to stop. That wouldn’t have been your fault or my fault had it been one of us driving, so it’s obviously not the fault of Uber and the self-driving technology at work here.

Luckily there was a video to clarify to events.

[FSogol]

13. How about smearing her in the press afterwards? Had I hit her, I wouldn't smear her.

I'd simply maintain that she stepped out and I couldn't stop, I wouldn't dig into her background.

How about the kid Uber ran over in Times Square a few years back? Their corporate response was to fire the driver (he obviously didn't follow their rules by having an accident) and try to pretend they had no responsibility.

[Codeine]

14. Im working under the assumption Uber

neither wrote nor published this story

[FSogol]

15. And I (because of Uber's checkered past) assume they are feeding that info to the press. n/t

[Codeine]

16. I dont believe that is a valid assumption

but everyone has their view.

[FSogol]

17. Maybe I am too cynical, but I don't trust libertarian-run companies like Facebook and Uber. n/t

[fescuerescue]

18. Possible

The press is probably better equipped and skilled at collecting info than Uber.

That's all the press does, every minute of the day, while Uber just does it when it needs to.

[FSogol]

19. Think Uber's legal team on behalf of Uber, not Uber themselves.

And give me a break on thinking the press (in general) does much investigation. They publish the corporate and govt press releases they are handed verbatim.

[fescuerescue]

20. Well the press probably does more investigation than a ride share company

But in fairness, it's pretty trivial to get someones criminal background.

I do it ALL THE TIME. Give me a name and address, and within an hour I know your life story, and if I want, the story of the people around them.

And I do it just for dating purposes.