Serve Robotics delivery robot collides with man on mobility scooter in West Hollywood
A Serve Robotics autonomous delivery robot collided with Mark Chaney, a man with cerebral palsy on a mobility scooter, on a West Hollywood sidewalk. The robot's safety system malfunctioned, impeding rather than yielding to the pedestrian, raising concerns about whether autonomous delivery systems are safe for people with disabilities.
What happened
On September 13, 2025, in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, a Serve Robotics autonomous delivery robot moving at 3 mph encountered Mark Chaney, a man with cerebral palsy on a mobility scooter on the sidewalk.
Chaney said the robot acted erratically, cutting him off and braking abruptly in front of him, causing his scooter to jolt backward. Serve Robotics stated the robot 'abruptly stopped' and made contact, but denied it reversed, saying this was its fail-safe response to sensing a pedestrian in close proximity.
Serve Robotics later acknowledged that its safety system 'caused the robot to impede' Chaney's path instead of yielding right of way as designed.
Reported impact
Chaney said he was in pain following the incident and that the collision raised concerns about whether delivery robots are safe for people with disabilities.
Index analysis
Chaney, an advocate for disability access, stated that Serve Robotics 'brushed off' his complaint and that the robots are not as intuitive as people think. He raised the concern that the robots may not have been tested against wheelchairs and scooters.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.