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Ford-backed self-driving car involved in an accident that sent two people to the hospital

Ford-backed self-driving car involved in an accident that sent two people to the hospital

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Early reports suggest crash caused by human error

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A self-driving car operated by Argo AI, a startup backed by Ford, was involved in an accident in Pittsburgh on Wednesday that sent two people to the hospital, according to The Incline. Early reports suggest the accident was the result of human error.

According to The Incline:

Pittsburgh Department of Public Safety spokesperson Alicia George said the crash occurred at about 10 a.m. at the intersection of 16th and Progress streets between North Shore and Troy Hill near the northern side of the 16th Street Bridge.

A box truck apparently ran a red light and T-boned a self-driving vehicle with four occupants inside, according to George. Two people from the vehicle were injured and were stable when they were transported to a nearby hospital. The crash site is about a mile from Argo AI’s garage.

George told The Verge that there was no word on charges at this time. “Not sure if there will be any charges,” she said in an email. “The accident report has not been completed. That could take time.”

Ford, which is handling media requests for Argo, said in an email, “We’re aware that an Argo AI test vehicle was involved in an accident. We’re gathering all the information. Our initial focus is on making sure that everyone involved is safe.” The spokesperson would not say whether the vehicle was in self-driving mode at the time, nor whether Argo has suspended all other testing while it investigates the crash.

This isn’t Pittsburgh’s first auto accident involving an autonomous vehicle. According to the Tribune Review, an autonomous Uber was involved in a crash in September 2017. The company determined that the car’s self-driving systems were not at fault in the crash. Local news station WPXI has footage of the damaged vehicle.

Argo, which was started by veterans of self-driving programs at Google and Uber, has been testing its autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh since receiving a 5-year, $1 billion investment from Ford in early 2017. The startup is working to help Ford meet its goal of deploying a fully driverless car, without a steering wheel or pedals, by 2021.