A Waymo A robotaxi has driven into the middle of a police standoff in Los Angeles, putting its passengers in the line of fire of a swarm of officers with guns drawn beneath a circling police helicopter.
The white Jaguar I-Pace from Waymo, Google’s robotaxi service owned by parent company Alphabet, approached the group of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) patrol cars that were blocking a street with their lights flashing.
As the perpetrator lay facedown on the ground and police shouted orders, the Waymo approached the roadblock at the intersection of Broadway and 1st Street, which the LAPD had closed.
With its left turn signal on, the Waymo then turned directly into the police line of fire and toward the perpetrator, pointed to the right and then snaked past the man who was lying face down on the road next to his abandoned pickup truck.
Daily Sparkz You can save thousands on a new car. Click Here to get a great deal.
Check out this post from Alex Choi on Instagram
The perpetrator appeared to raise his head in confusion as the Waymo drove past before returning to the task of being apprehended.
No one was injured in the incident, Waymo said on its website TMZ The vehicle “cleared the scene of the accident within seconds” and its occupants “reached their destination safely.”
“Safety is our top priority at Waymo, both for the people who choose to ride with us and for the people we share the roads with,” a Waymo spokesperson said.
“When we encounter unusual events like this, we learn from them as we continue to improve traffic safety and operations in dynamic cities.”
Accordingly NBC NewsThe LAPD said the suspension of the operation did not affect its tactics.
It’s the latest Waymo incident to make headlines after a Waymo robotaxi was stopped by police after making an illegal U-turn on a San Francisco street. Another was pulled over for driving the wrong way down a street, while several Waymos were attacked by mobs during riots in LA earlier this year.
The attacks, in which robotaxis were graffitied and set on fire, prompted Waymo to suspend its services in hot spots to ensure the safety of its users.
Waymo is one of several robotaxi services being tested on public roads in the United States, including electric car maker Tesla and previously General Motors (GM).
Last month, Waymo announced the expansion of its robotaxi service beyond suburban streets and onto highways.
There are currently no robot taxis on Australian roads, and a survey of Australians by insurance company iSelect found almost half of respondents opposed fully autonomous cars on local roads.
In the US, GM shut down its loss-making cruise robotaxi operation in late 2024 after its operating license was revoked in California following several incidents involving pedestrians.
Ford CEO Jim Farley said earlier this year that he believes Google’s autonomous vehicle technology is superior to that used by Tesla because it uses LiDAR technology.
Volvo says LiDAR – which has greater capability than cameras for features such as depth of field in low light – has the potential to reduce serious traffic accidents by up to 20 percent.
Still, the Swedish brand recently announced it would abandon the technology from its EX90 SUV and ES90 electric liftback – including those destined for Australian showrooms – after a dispute with its LiDAR supplier.
MORE: See how a fully autonomous Tesla handles going off the road
