EVwire brief: A Waymo robotaxi was involved in a fatal crash in Dallas after a pedestrian who had been struck by another vehicle was thrown into the autonomous vehicle's path. According to information released by Waymo and Dallas police, the unoccupied robotaxi slowed before making contact with the pedestrian, who later died at a hospital. Police have said nobody was at fault in the crash.
Waymo said its Jaguar I-Pace robotaxi was traveling about 24 mph (39 km/h) when it detected the pedestrian approximately 150 feet (46 meters) ahead after he entered the roadway on the opposite side. Anticipating that he might cross into its lane, the vehicle began slowing.
Security camera footage later showed the pedestrian had just left a convenience store with another person before stepping into the street, where he was struck from behind by an SUV traveling about 35 mph (56 km/h) in a 30 mph (48 km/h) zone.
Waymo operates autonomous Jaguar I-Pace vehicles in Dallas and several other U.S. cities.
The impact reportedly threw the pedestrian about 30 feet (9 meters) into the Waymo's lane. By that point, the robotaxi had slowed to about 5 mph (8 km/h), and the pedestrian struck the vehicle's left rear side. Waymo said the vehicle stopped immediately after the collision, while the SUV driver also remained at the scene. The pedestrian was transported to a hospital, where he later died.
Waymo expressed its condolences following the incident, saying:
The safety of our riders and other road users is our top priority. We are deeply saddened by what happened and our thoughts are with the individual's family and friends. We are in touch with first responders and grateful for their quick response last evening.
The Waymo involved in the Dallas crash was unoccupied and had no passengers at the time of the incident.
Context:
The incident has drawn comparisons with Cruise's widely publicized pedestrian crash in San Francisco in 2023, where a pedestrian struck by another vehicle was thrown into the path of a Cruise Chevy Bolt robotaxi. Autonomous vehicle veteran Brad Templeton argues, however, that the similarities largely end there.
Templeton notes that Cruise was not at fault for the initial collision, but its handling of the aftermath and communications with regulators ultimately contributed to the company's shutdown. Waymo, for its part, has been forthcoming with details in Dallas, sharing speed data, detection distance, and its vehicle's response with police and the public.
EVwire has covered Waymo’s rapid expansion into new U.S. markets this year, as well as its push into Europe.
Source: Forbes; FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth, citing Dallas Police Department
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