Cruise Robotaxis has been involved in several controversies in past months.
A woman in San Francisco has been admitted to hospital after being first hit by a man driving a car and then crushed by a driverless taxi, according to The Telegraph. The pedestrian was thrown on the path of the robotaxi due to the impact of the first collision. Shockingly, the vehicle came to a halt with its weight resting on her leg, and it remained in that position until the police rescued her, as per an account provided by a witness to the San Francisco Chronicle.
After the incident, the injured woman was rushed to the hospital and is presently in critical condition. The situation required the use of equipment to lift the stationary car off the ground, the San Francisco Fire Department said. The unfortunate incident occurred as the woman was walking through traffic under a green light in the downtown area of the city.
This incident ranks among the most severe accidents involving driverless vehicles in San Francisco since Waymo and Cruise were granted licenses to offer 24/7 robotaxi services to the public in August.
Eyewitnesses quoted by the outlet said that Cruise-operated vehicle struck the pedestrian, coming to a stop with its rear axle and tire resting on her leg. It activated its hazard lights and was subsequently remotely shut down. The initial human driver responsible for the collision ran away from the scene.
Cruise, the company behind the autonomous car, stated that the vehicle had no passengers on board and had applied rapid braking to mitigate the impact of the collision. They also mentioned that the car remained at the scene at the request of the police.
"At approximately 9:30 pm on Oct 2, a human-driven vehicle struck a pedestrian while travelling in the lane immediately to the left of a Cruise AV (autonomous vehicle). The initial impact was severe and launched the pedestrian directly in front of the AV. The AV then braked aggressively to minimise the impact," a spokesperson of the company was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.
"The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene, and at the request of the police, the AV was kept in place. Our heartfelt concern and focus is the wellbeing of the person who was injured and we are actively working with police to help identify the responsible driver," the spokesperson further said.
Cruise Robotaxis have been accused of holding up emergency vehicles and causing regular traffic jams as cars freeze when faced with unfamiliar situations.
In August, the company was ordered to cut its fleet in half while authorities investigate crashes, said the outlet.