Moment Waymo smashes into minivan at California Costco in new video
Can a driverless vehicle commit a hit-and-run?
That’s the question making the rounds on social media after video showed a Waymo robotaxi plow into another car in the Bay Area — then simply keep cruising.
In the 20-second video, the light-blue robotaxi collides with a car at a Costco before continuing on its way. The car that was hit then turns left and drives off as well.
The video has racked up more than 2,000 upvotes and 500 comments, with viewers debating who was at fault.
“The driver gunning it out is at fault in this case. I’m sure they’ll are happy it just kept going, but the cameras probably got their plate,” one commenter wrote.
Another viewer found the whole thing more amusing than alarming.
“The way the Waymo kept driving like nothing happened is actually hilarious,” they wrote.
The light-blue Waymo is the company’s Zeekr RT, a small all-electric robotaxi manufactured for Waymo by a subsidiary of China’s Geely, which also owns Volvo.
The vehicle was built in 2024 but did not begin commercial service until this year.
Although it shares basic hardware with Chinese electric passenger vans, the RT was produced exclusively for Waymo, according to MotorTrend.
The bizarre crash comes as Waymo faces another recent complaint involving one of its driverless cars — this time from a San Jose passenger who claimed the robotaxi drove off with his luggage still in the trunk after dropping him at the airport.
The passenger said he was left watching the Waymo drive away with his belongings, adding another strange chapter to the growing list of mishaps involving the autonomous vehicles.