Waymo robotaxi drives passenger into police standoff

A Waymo driverless taxi drove a passenger into an apparent police standoff in downtown Los Angeles last week, according to ABC News.

The Waymo taxi came across a street blocked by police vehicles, as can be seen in this video, before turning into an area that was not blocked off where other vehicles were also traveling, according to a Waymo spokesperson. 

Officers were conducting a high-risk felony arrest after a stolen vehicle pursuit at around 3:40 a.m. when the Waymo drove through an intersection, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Waymo said the vehicle was in the vicinity of the event for “no more than 15 seconds.” 

“Safety is our highest priority at Waymo, both for people who choose to ride with us and with whom we share the streets. When we encounter unusual events like this one, we learn from them as we continue improving road safety and operating in dynamic cities,” a spokesperson for Waymo said in a statement to ABC News. 

Officers had not yet blocked off traffic when the Waymo vehicle drove through but did so afterward, the LAPD said.

The incident did not impact the LAPD’s tactics, police said. The LAPD also said it has a 24/7 hotline for coordinating issues with Waymo.

(Picture: Freepik)

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Print

Related Stories

HIGHWAYS... DAILY

All the latest highways news direct to your inbox every week day

Subscribe now