Self-driving car company Waymo has confirmed that one of its vehicles ran over a dog in San Francisco on Sunday.
The passenger inside the car at the time blew the whistle, saying that the incident attracted a crowd and left their kids crying and their partner screaming.
The dog, which the passenger described as being of a similar size to a Corgi, "started yelping and screaming" after being run over by the self-driving ride-hail car.
A Waymo spokesperson told San Francisco news site Mission Local: "Unfortunately, a Waymo vehicle made contact with a small, unleashed dog in the roadway.
"We are dedicated to learning from this situation and how we show up for our community as we continue improving road safety in the cities we serve.
"We have not received a status update on the dog."
The passenger said that the robotaxi biz contacted them and promised to review the ride data to understand what preventative measures could be taken.
Waymo also said it would be sending a team of people to help find the dog's owner and offer veterinary services.
"While it's going to be a while before my kids will be willing to try it again, I am happy with Waymo's response and personally look forward to trying the service again," the passenger said.
The incident is the second canine casualty linked to Waymo in as many years, and the second animal to suffer the same fate in two months.
A Waymo car was blamed for the death of Kit Kat, a beloved bar-hopping cat familiar to dwellers of San Francisco's Mission District, who was run over by a robotaxi on October 27.
Affectionately nicknamed the "Mayor of 16th Street," Kit Kat inspired locals to erected a shrine to him after his death, which stoked broader criticism of Waymo's presence in the city.
"We send our deepest sympathies to the cat's owner and the community who knew and loved him," a Waymo spokesperson stated at the time.
Many locals report feeling uneasy about the fleet of white Jaguar I-Paces roaming the city's roads, although the offering has proven popular with tourists, women seeking safer rides, and parents in need of a quick, convenient way to ferry their children to school.
Waymo currently operates in the SF Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, and some self-driving rides are available through Uber in Austin and Atlanta.
Next year, the company is gearing up to expand across various major US cities, as well as London, its first foray into international markets.
Tests have already begun in Tokyo, where Waymo has partnered with the city's leading taxi app and a major taxi company to bring autonomous rides to Japan. ®
Source: The register