A Waymo vehicle, with a human employee at the wheel, crashed into several parked cars in Los Angeles.
A video obtained by KTLA shows a Waymo vehicle travelling downhill, drifting onto a grass patch, then veering into a row of parked cars along a narrow residential street. The vehicle eventually came to a stop after crashing into the back of another car.
The crash happened at about 11 a.m. on Sunday in the 1200 block of Lilac Place near Dodger Stadium, per KTLA’s report. No injuries were reported.
A Waymo spokesperson said the vehicle was being manually driven by an autonomous vehicle specialist at the time of the crash. There were no other riders inside the car.
The driver exited the vehicle on his own following the crash, the spokesperson added.
While Waymo’s robotaxis are designed to operate without a human driver, the company still uses manual driving in certain situations, including software testing and training.
In some cases, trained specialists sit in the driver’s seat to “monitor our autonomous driving technology,” Waymo said on its FAQ page.
Waymo began operating a driverless ride-hailing service in Phoenix in 2018 and has since expanded to other cities, including Austin and Atlanta, through a partnership with Uber.
The company launched driverless vehicles in San Francisco in 2022 and began offering rides to the public through its app in 2024.
The crash comes as Waymo faces increased scrutiny over the safety of its autonomous vehicles.
Last month, several Waymo robotaxis stalled in intersections and along busy streets in San Francisco during a power outage. A clip on X showed at least five driverless vehicles clustered at a junction, backing up traffic.
The California Public Utilities Commission told Business Insider in December it is “looking into specifics” of the outage incident.
In May, Waymo recalled software affecting more than 1,200 vehicles after some slammed into chains or gates. Business Insider reported in November that a Waymo vehicle ran over a bodega cat in San Francisco, sparking backlash from residents.
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