Self-Driving Cruise Car Accident Leaves Pedestrian Trapped And Injured In San Francisco

A female pedestrian in San Francisco suffered severe injuries after being trapped underneath a self-driving Cruise car on Monday night.

What Happened: The San Francisco Fire Department responded to a 911 call at approximately 9:35 p.m., which reported an incident involving a woman and an autonomous vehicle on Fifth Street, NBC Bay Area reported. The emergency responders found the woman pinned beneath the left rear axle of the vehicle, the report said, citing department Captain Justin Schorr.

The team contacted the controllers of the autonomous vehicle who were able to remotely disable the car. The rescue team then lifted the car off the woman. The victim, who sustained multiple traumatic injuries, was rushed to a nearby hospital. Her current health status is unclear.

The San Francisco Police Department has taken over the investigation, NBC said.

Cruise Responds: A Cruise spokesperson told Benzinga that it was aware of the incident. The company said that the woman was struck by a human-driven vehicle which launched the pedestrian directly in front of the AV.

“The AV then braked aggressively to minimize the impact. The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene, and at the request of the police the AV was kept in place,” Cruise said while adding that it is actively working with the police to identify the driver responsible for the accident.

The company further clarified that the vehicle came to a complete stop immediately after impacting the struck pedestrian and that it was in autonomous mode with no passengers within. Cruise is General Motors Co’s GM autonomous vehicle unit.

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