Waymo Fatality Likely Not-At-Fault: Here Are New Details And What-Ifs

Police said a pedestrian died after being struck by a speeding SUV and then hitting a Waymo robotaxi in Dallas. The pedestrian was crossing Maple Avenue outside a crosswalk when an SUV traveling 35 mph in a 30 mph zone struck him from behind, throwing him about 30 feet into the oncoming lane where an unoccupied Waymo I-Pace was traveling at 24 mph, according to police and Waymo reports. The Waymo vehicle detected the pedestrian 150 feet away and slowed to 5 mph before the pedestrian struck its left rear side, after which the robotaxi stopped immediately. Police stated nobody was at fault in the crash. The victim, the SUV driver and the SUV model have not been identified. The pedestrian died at a hospital after being treated by passers-by and emergency crews. Waymo said its vehicle anticipated the pedestrian might cross into its lane and braked in response. This marks Waymo's third fatality involvement, though the company said it was not at fault under normal traffic law standards. Waymo has been forthcoming with information about the incident, unlike the communication failures that followed a similar 2023 Cruise incident in San Francisco where a pedestrian was dragged after being hit by another vehicle.