But they say it was the driver's fault.
'Driverless’ taxi crashes into London crime scene as detectives probe double stabbinghttps://www.lbc.co.uk/article/driverles ... 5HjdYDj_2/
A "driverless" taxi was spotted driving into a crime scene in west London while it was on a test run in the capital.
Officers investigating a double stabbing in Harlesden were shocked to see a Waymo vehicle ride crash through their police cordon on Wednesday.
The fully autonomous white car was seemingly unaware of the police car lights and sirens as it cared through the "Do Not Cross" tape stretched across Harlesden High Street.
Detectives had been called to the area after two men, both aged in their 20s, had been attacked.
But instead of investigating the incident, officers found themselves approaching the robotaxi, which had come to a stop, and engaging in a conversation with a person sitting inside the car before it reversed away.
Waymo told the Daily Mail the car was being manually driven at the time and the driver involved had been suspended.
If the car had been in automated mode, the car would have identified the danger and stopped, a spokesperson for the firm said.
“We sincerely apologise for any disruption caused by this validation driver, who was operating the vehicle in manual mode," they added.
"We take this matter seriously and are working with our operations partner to ensure appropriate actions are taken.”
Both victims were treated at the scene by paramedics before being rushed to hospital.
A Waymo car found itself in a similar situation in the US in February, when the driverless vehicle ended up in an Atlanta crime scene where two officers had been shot.
One even drove a passenger through the scene of a police standoff in downtown Los Angeles in December 2025.
Waymo had previously set a goal of having driverless cars up and running in London by September this year.
The US firm is understood to have as many as 24 cars driving around the capital with drivers in tow as they map the city ahead of a driverless release.
The vehicles still need regulatory approvals and safety drivers are currently in place to ensure the cars are safe and effective.
If this initial phase is successful, a broader rollout is planned for later this year, marking the first time the driverless taxis will hit the road outside the US.
Login
Register
FAQ
