The passenger who was in the car at the time blew the whistle, proverb that the incident drew a crowd and made their children cry and their spouse scream.
The dog, which the passenger said was about the size of a Corgi, “started screaming and shouting” after being run over by the self-driving hail car.
A Waymo spokesperson told the San Francisco news site Mission Local: “Unfortunately, a Waymo vehicle made contact with a small, unleashed dog in the roadway.
“We are committed to learning from this situation and how we stand up for our community as we continue to improve road safety in the cities we serve.
“We have not received a status update on the dog.”
The passenger said the robotaxi company contacted them and promised to review the trip data to understand what preventive measures could be taken.
Waymo also said it would send a team of people to help find the dog’s owner and provide veterinary services.
“While it will be a while before my children want to try it again, I am pleased with Waymo’s response and personally look forward to trying the service again,” the passenger said.
The incident is the second dog victim linked to Waymo in as many years, and the second animal to suffer the same fate in two months.
A Waymo car was blamed the death of KitKata beloved bar-hopping cat known to residents of San Francisco’s Mission District, who was run over by a robotaxi on October 27.
Kit Kat, affectionately known as the “Mayor of 16th Street,” inspired locals to erect a shrine to him after his death, leading to broader criticism of Waymo’s presence in the city.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the cat’s owner and the community that knew and loved him,” a Waymo spokesperson said 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 looking for safer rides and parents in need of a quick, convenient way to take their children to school.
Waymo currently operates in the SF Bay Area, Los Angelesand Phoenix, and some self-driving rides are available through Uber in Austin and Atlanta.
Next year, the company is getting ready to expand to several major American citiesas well as London, its first foray into international markets.
Testing has already begun in Tokyo, where Waymo is teaming up with the city’s leading taxi app and a major taxi company to bring autonomous rides to Japan. ®
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