A fatal accident involving an Uber Technologies Inc. vehicle in self-driving mode in March 2018 was the result of a programming issue, according to initial findings from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

The accident in Tempe, Arizona, involved the victim, 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, crossing the road outside a pedestrian crossing when an Uber vehicle struck her, killing her on impact. At the time of the accident, it was claimed that the Uber vehicle may have not been at fault because Herzberg walked into the path of the vehicle, giving it no time to react.

The narrative around the story, pushed by Uber, is that the vehicle’s sensors worked properly. But it now appears that the NTSB has a different opinion. Bloomberg reported today that the NTSB initial findings, ahead of a public hearing on the case later this month, conclude that Uber’s self-driving technology hadn’t been programmed to detect jaywalkers at all.

The initial report found that Uber staff had also disabled auto-detection and braking software in the Volvo vehicle involved in the accident that could have slowed the vehicle and even possibly avoided the accident altogether.

Worse still, the NTSB claims that Uber ignored safety issues. “The Uber Advanced Technologies Group unit that was testing self-driving cars on public streets in Tempe didn’t have a standalone safety division, a formal safety plan, standard operating procedures or a manager focused on preventing accidents,” the NTSB interim report is quoted as saying.

In response to the report, Uber said in a statement that it regrets the crash.

“In the wake of this tragedy, the team at Uber ATG has adopted critical program improvements to further prioritize safety,” Uber said. “We deeply value the thoroughness of the NTSB’s investigation into the crash and look forward to reviewing their recommendations once issued after the NTSB’s board meeting later this month.”

Uber did suspend its self-driving car program following the fatal accident, only returning to public roads nine months later in December 2018.

The partial release of the NTSB interim report comes after Uber beat market expectations in its third-quarter financials Monday. Although the ride-hailing giant boldly predicted that it was aiming to be profitable by 2021, Uber’s stock lockup expired this week resulting in its share price plunging to record lows.

Uber’s share price fell nearly 4% Wednesday, to $26.94 per share, its lowest ever price and well down from its initial public offering price of $45 per share.

The full NTSB public hearing into the accident is scheduled for Nov. 19.

Photo: Dllu/Wikimedia Commons