7 February 2024
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A driverless Waymo car and a cyclist were involved in a crash in San Francisco on Tuesday, Waymo confirmed to Nexstar’s KRON4.
The crash happened just after 3 p.m. The cyclist’s injuries were not life-threatening, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton posted about the crash on Facebook, saying, “So much for safety.”
In a response to a KRON4 inquiry, Waymo explained how the crash allegedly happened.
According to Waymo, formerly the Google self-driving car project, the driverless car was stopped at a four-way intersection. A large truck went through the intersection, and the Waymo car followed after it went through.
The cyclist was behind the truck, and their view was blocked, according to Waymo, which added that they rode into the Waymo car’s path and was hit.
“The cyclist was occluded by the truck and quickly followed behind it, crossing into the Waymo vehicle’s path,” Waymo said. “When they became unoccluded, our vehicle applied heavy braking but was not able to avoid the collision.”
Waymo told police about the crash, and the cyclist left on their own, per Waymo. Waymo said it was “making contact with relevant authorities” about the crash.