A driverless Waymo vehicle became the runaway car of choice for a suspected robber in Los Angeles Monday night. After stealing merchandise and brawling with employees at a Ralph's grocery store, the suspect fled in the autonomous getaway car, adding an unusual element to the investigation.
Local news reports the suspect allegedly used pepper spray, though unconfirmed, to bypass Ralph's security. Officers involved were able to track down the robotic taxi.
Local reports suggest the suspect may have used pepper spray to bypass security at Ralph's, though this remains unconfirmed. Police soon tracked down the robotic taxi.
A video obtained by KTLA shows four cruisers tailing the suspect. Law enforcement encircled the car and drew firearms. The suspect was ordered to step out and was promptly taken into custody.
Waymo says its self-driving software is smart enough to spot police sirens and lights and pull over during incidents like this.
Waymo outlines on its support page, "If your trip is interrupted by an interaction with law enforcement, Support will be notified and will contact you through the in-car speakers or your phone. Support will also speak to law enforcement officials through the in-car speakers to resolve the issue," the company's support page says.
The bizarre incident is sparking reactions, with Redditors questioning the logistics of the getaway. One user joked, "Lol. Wonder how this worked. Did they call it ahead of time? And using your own Waymo account during a getaway is crazy." Another added, "Sounds like Waymo needs a car chase mode."
This isn't the first time Los Angeles has seen a crime involving a Waymo.
In a separate Los Angeles incident, a suspect was arrested for allegedly trying to steal the driverless vehicle. In another case, officers found a man, suspected of being drunk, sitting in the driver's seat of a Waymo.
Waymo's in-car cameras can detect if a rider might be drunk, The San Francisco Chronicle revealed. Using a machine-learning model trained on real-time behavior, the cameras also spot smokers or passengers skipping their seatbelts, according to the Chronicle.
In a statement to CBS News, Waymo said of its more than 5 million rides, there have been "only been a handful of instances" in which a rider or someone else not authorized to operate the car has tried to drive off, the company said in a statement.
Waymo reports its autonomous vehicles have an 85% lower crash rate involving injuries and a 57% lower rate of police-reported crashes than human drivers.
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