A self-driving Uber car has hit and killed a woman in what may be the first autonomous vehicle death

Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Uber driverless Ford Fusions sit in the Uber Technical Center parking lot on September, 22, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

An Arizona woman has died after being hit by a self-driving car operated by Uber.

ABC 15 is reporting that the vehicle hit a woman in Tempe, Arizona on Monday morning, and that she died of her injuries at a hospital. The vehicle was in self-driving mode at the time of the crash, the news outlet cites Tempe police as saying.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

The incident appears to be the first time someone has been killed by an autonomous vehicle, which are touted as a safer alternative to traditional cars. (A man was previously killed while using Tesla's semi-autonomous "auto pilot" mode, though he ignored seven safety warnings.)

Uber has since paused its self-driving car operations in Tempe, San Francisco, and Toronto, WPXI News reports.

The exact circumstances of the crash are not yet known.

In a brief statement provided to Business Insider, Uber confirmed that someone had died, and said they were cooperating with investigators.

"Our hearts go out to the victim's family. We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this incident." The company did not immediately provide further details about the deadly incident.

This story is developing...