Mubasher: Ride-sharing giant Uber announced the suspension of self-driving car tests in the US after a terrible accident took place in Tempe, Arizona.

A woman was killed by one of Uber's autonomous cars while crossing the street, marking the first fatal accident by an autonomous car.

“Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. We’re thinking of the victim’s family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said.

Other accidents by driverless cars have taken place previously; however, the Tempe incident was the first fatal one.

Giant US car manufacturers like Ford and General Motors have recently unveiled plans to invest a lot of money in the electric and autonomous vehicle industry.

This accident is considered a "wake up call to the entire industry and government to put a high priority on safety," former US secretary of transportation Anthony Foxx noted.