Waymo Robotaxi Transported Undetected Person Trapped in Trunk
A pedestrian trapped himself in the trunk of a Waymo robotaxi in Los Angeles and remained undetected by the vehicle's sensors during the ride. The vehicle's previous passenger had left the trunk open, allowing the man to enter; he was later removed by police.
What happened
A pedestrian jumped into and became trapped in the open trunk of a Waymo robotaxi in Los Angeles on a Monday afternoon near MacArthur Park, at the corner of South Westlake Avenue and 6th Street.
A woman ordering a Waymo for her daughter discovered the man already in the vehicle's trunk when it arrived. The man was removed from the trunk by police.
Reported impact
The trapped passenger remained undetected by the vehicle's sensors during the ride. Waymo did not disclose whether the man could have exited the trunk himself.
Index analysis
Waymo said a pedestrian entered the trunk after the previous rider left it open, and confirmed that the vehicle's sensors did not alert to the man's presence or prevent the ride from completing.
Governance controls
Waymo stated it was 'actively implementing changes to address this' and that the experience was 'unacceptable.' The company's Rider Support team assisted the customer during the incident and contacted them afterward.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.