A Cruise self-driving car, owned by General Motors Corp, was involved in a crash with an emergency vehicle in San Francisco on Thursday. This incident occurred just a week after the California agency voted to expand operations of autonomous vehicle services in the city. Cruise stated that their car entered the intersection on a green light and was struck by the emergency vehicle, which appeared to be en route to an emergency scene. The San Francisco Police Department confirmed that the collision happened when a fire truck, with its forward-facing red lights and siren on, was operating in an emergency. The police did not mention if a case had been registered against Cruise, but they did mention that the sole passenger in the self-driving car was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The collision is currently under investigation by the San Francisco Fire Department.
Last week, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted to allow robotaxis from Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo to operate at all hours of the day in San Francisco and charge passengers for rides. This decision faced opposition from residents and city agencies. Previously, the two companies had been conducting robotaxi tests within limited times and geographic areas in San Francisco. However, City Attorney David Chiu has requested the CPUC to halt its decision while the city files for a re-hearing. Chiu expressed concerns about the technology not being ready and how it has interfered with the operations of first responders. Cruise responded to the incident by stating that they are deeply mindful of the well-being of first responders and are currently investigating to better understand the performance of their vehicles.
