Waymo Involved, Apparently Not At Fault, In Motorcycle Fatality

A Waymo vehicle without any passengers was traveling along Rural Road near Arizona State University in Tempe when it began slowing down to make a right turn into a parking lot—likely preparing to pick up its next rider. Waymo confirms the turn signals were activated, as is standard procedure for all autonomous operations. The vehicle detected pedestrians on the sidewalk who were obstructing the driveway it intended to enter, prompting it to decelerate and come to a complete stop. The car had been moving at a speed below the 35mph limit and initially planned a slow, controlled turn before the need to halt arose due to the people in its path.

According to Waymo, the motorcyclist following behind failed to slow down adequately and collided with the rear of the stationary or nearly stationary Waymo vehicle. At the same time, another vehicle—driven by a human—was approaching from the adjacent left lane. Within one second of the initial impact, this second vehicle struck the motorcyclist, who ended up in front of the now-stopped Waymo car. The autonomous vehicle immediately halted upon detecting the collision at its rear.

The driver of the vehicle that hit the motorcyclist reportedly fled the scene. However, because Waymo vehicles continuously record video from all angles, the company was able to capture footage of the incident and provide law enforcement with the license plate number of the fleeing car. The Waymo remained stopped at the scene and stayed connected to its remote operations support team. While Waymo does not confirm whether they were the first to notify emergency services, their standard protocol is to contact first responders promptly in such incidents. The crash occurred around 1:30am on a Sunday morning.

Tragically, the motorcyclist succumbed to injuries and passed away at the hospital. In response, Waymo released a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened by this event and we are fully cooperating with law enforcement and regulators. We are heartbroken by this tragedy and our deepest sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the individual who lost their life.”

Robocars and Fatalities

This marks the third known fatality involving a robocar. The first occurred just two miles away in 2018 and involved an early Uber self-driving prototype. That vehicle had a safety driver behind the wheel who was distracted and not paying attention to the road—a negligence later confirmed in court. Although the driver was found criminally negligent, Uber also faced criticism for poor oversight and inadequate training of safety personnel. The company eventually settled with the victim’s family.

The second incident happened in January 2025. It involved a Waymo vehicle that was parked and completely stationary at a traffic light when a speeding car caused a multi-vehicle pileup, crashing into the Waymo and six other vehicles. One person and a dog died, and several others sustained injuries. Since the Waymo was not in motion and its autonomous systems played no role in the chain reaction, it bore no responsibility for the crash.

ForbesAre Cruise Robotaxis Pushing Too Hard? Or Too Slow?By Brad TempletonIn the most recent case, the Waymo was actively moving, albeit slowly. It's common for drivers to be caught off guard when vehicles slow unexpectedly to turn into driveways or stop for pedestrians. This may explain why the motorcyclist did not react in time. Under current traffic laws, it would be highly unlikely for the Waymo to be deemed at fault for being rear-ended under these circumstances, unless it exhibited erratic behavior—which has not been reported.

It’s also conceivable that the driver of the vehicle that struck the motorcyclist had no opportunity to avoid the collision, given that it occurred within just one second after the initial impact. Nevertheless, fleeing the scene will likely lead to serious legal consequences if the individual is apprehended. With robocars (and increasingly, regular cars equipped with dashcams) constantly recording their surroundings, attempting to escape after an accident is almost always a futile and unwise decision.

The Cruise Crash

In contrast, the hit-and-run driver responsible for triggering the fatal incident that led to the collapse of G.M.’s Cruise division was never caught. Despite available video evidence, authorities did not disclose details about how the footage was handled or why no arrest was made. Though lighting conditions were dark, capturing the license plate should have been feasible. Some speculate the vehicle might have been stolen, but the truth remains unknown.

That crash began when a human driver struck a pedestrian crossing against the signal, then fled the scene. The force of the impact threw the victim into the path of an oncoming Cruise robotaxi, which ran over her. Up to that point, Cruise was not considered at fault. However, the vehicle’s software incorrectly assessed that the person had been hit only on the side and therefore could not be beneath the car. Based on this error, it initiated an immediate pull-over maneuver, dragging the victim underneath and causing additional harm. Fortunately, she survived and received a substantial settlement from Cruise. But the public backlash—and Cruise’s handling of reporting the incident—led the DMV to revoke its operating permits, effectively ending its deployment on public roads.

Reports suggest Cruise had recently changed its protocols due to repeated complaints from San Francisco emergency responders about autonomous vehicles delaying traffic after minor incidents. In response, the company reprogrammed its cars to pull over immediately after a collision rather than wait for remote human instructions. In contrast, the Waymo vehicle in the recent incident remained stopped and did not move after impact.

Update: Looking ahead, there may come a time when robocars can exhibit superhuman reflexes to prevent certain types of crashes. For instance, if a robotaxi detects that a following motorcycle isn’t braking fast enough and a rear-end collision is imminent, it could potentially use the full power of its electric motors to accelerate past the intended turn—clearing the danger zone and circling back later. Such a maneuver would be impossible for a human driver, who cannot simultaneously monitor multiple directions and perform real-time physics calculations. While not feasible in every scenario, advances like this could help avoid future collisions. Waymo already claims high success rates in simulation tests where their AI avoids crashes that human drivers previously failed to prevent.

What If The Robotaxi Did Have Fault In A Future Crash?

Based on current reports, Waymo appears to bear no fault in this incident. Still, as autonomous ride volume grows—Waymo now completes over 250,000 rides per week—it’s inevitable that a future fatality will occur where the robocar shares or bears full responsibility. Society’s reaction to such an event will profoundly shape the trajectory of this technology.

While data shows robocars drive more safely than humans on average—reducing overall risk and injury—they cannot eliminate accidents entirely. Occasionally, both robots and humans experience “phantom braking,” slamming on the brakes for perceived hazards that aren’t actually dangerous. Even though following drivers are legally required to maintain safe distances to account for such events, questions will arise if a false alarm leads to a fatal crash.

Eventually, there will be a fatality where the robocar is clearly and legally at fault. It will be heartbreaking. People naturally respond to dramatic events more strongly than statistical trends. Yet removing all autonomous vehicles from service in such a moment—as happened with Cruise—would ultimately increase danger on the roads, not reduce it. This coming debate will be critical to the future of transportation safety and innovation.

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