A self-driving car was involved in an accident in north Tempe on Friday evening, ending up on its side after a crash involving two other vehicles, Tempe police said.

The accident happened while the autonomous car, as they are technically known, was driving southbound on McClintock Drive north of Apache Road, said Sgt. Damon DeSpain.

Another vehicle failed to yield while making a left turn onto Don Carlos Drive, colliding with the self-driving car, operated by Uber, DeSpain said. A third vehicle was hit by one of the first two, but no serious injuries were reported, according to police.

The autonomous vehicles are part of a program to test the self-driving cars on the road in an attempt to one day put them to widespread use.

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It was “uncertain” whether the car was driving itself at the time of the accident or if the operator sitting behind the wheel was in control, DeSpain said.

Uber, on its website, stressed the use of the vehicles is in its early stages.

“While Uber is still in the early days of our self-driving efforts, every day of testing leads to improvements,” the website says, referring to the self-driving car program.

“Self-driving cars have the potential to save millions of lives and improve quality of life for people around the world,” it said.

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