A Waymo self-driving van was involved in a car crash in Chandler, Arizona. The Waymo van was traveling at a slow speed in autonomous mode with a human backup driver in the driver’s seat and was not the vehicle responsible for the crash, police say. The van was hit by a car driving eastbound into westbound lanes.
A Waymo self-driving van was involved in a car accident Friday afternoon, May 4,2018, in Chandler, Arizona. The Waymo van was traveling at a slow speed in autonomous mode with a human backup driver in the driver’s seat and was not the vehicle responsible for the crash, according to police. The van was hit by a car driving eastbound into westbound lanes.
At 3:01 p.m. local time the Chandler police department issued the following statement, The Verge reports:
The Chandler police also said the Waymo van was not the “violator vehicle,” ABC 15 News reported, according to The Verge .
Twitter user Matt Jaffee posted a photo of the accident scene at 3:40 p.m. PT. Jaffee tweeted: “Right now: Pretty gnarly crash with an @Waymo van in Chandler, AZ. No visible injuries.”
Chandler Police Department spokesperson Seth Tyler reportedly said this collision is the first accident involving a Waymo vehicle in Chandler this year, according to ABC New 15 .
There have now been two vehicle accidents involving autonomous vehicles in the Phoenix area. In March an Uber self-driving car struck and killed a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona.
Last November, Waymo announced it would test self-driving cars with no human backup driver behind the wheel, ABC 15 reported. A Waymo employee would be in the vehicle, but in the back seat. A Waymo human backup was in the driver’s seat in today’s accident.
Arizona gave Waymo transportation network company (TNC) status in January. TNC status means Waymo can charge riders for service. Riders can hail a Waymo autonomous van with the Waymo app.
