Severity minor: The collision killed a cat, with no third party or human injury stated.
Happened 2025-10-27 · Earliest source we hold 2026-10-15, 353 days later
A Waymo robotaxi struck and killed a cat named KitKat in San Francisco's Mission District on October 27, 2025.
Risk grouping: Not yet classified
The AI's part
Caused it “The cat was struck by a Waymo robotaxi on October 27, 2025, and died later that night, sparking an outpouring of grief from locals who knew him as the 'mayor of 16th Street.'”source
No source we hold states: who caused it, intended or not, before or after release.
The story
1 · What it was doingA Waymo robotaxi was operating a driverless taxi service in San Francisco, picking up passengers, when it pulled away from a stop.
2 · What went wrongThe robotaxi pulled away and ran over a cat underneath it, killing the animal it should have detected and avoided.
3 · What it reached or didThe collision killed KitKat, a local cat, and later another Waymo struck a small dog, which suffered severe pelvic trauma and was put down.
4 · How it was caughtThe New York Times published surveillance footage in December showing the moments before the collision, raising questions about what the car could detect.
5 · What was doneWaymo initially claimed the cat darted underneath the vehicle; after the footage was published, questions were raised about detection.