A pedestrian has died following an unusual collision in Dallas involving an SUV and a Waymo robotaxi.
The crash occurred shortly after 11:30 p.m. Friday when according to Dallas police, the pedestrian stepped onto the roadway outside of a designated crosswalk before being struck by an SUV travelling southbound.
The force of that initial collision reportedly threw the man more than 30 feet across the roadway and into the northbound lanes, where an autonomous Waymo was approaching.
Waymo says its autonomous driving system detected the pedestrian and slowed the vehicle to approximately 5 mph (8 km/h) before contact was made. The pedestrian struck the left rear portion of the Waymo, which came to a stop immediately afterward.
Bystanders provided assistance until emergency crews arrived. The man was transported to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Waymo issued a statement following the incident:
“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 driver of the SUV remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators. No other injuries were reported.
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