Waymo robotaxi stalls at flooded San Diego street, trapping passenger
Preliminary Why: Only a republished copy: AOL · subject to change
Status: action reported, no fix
Severityminor
Reported
2 Nov 2026
Developer and model
Waymo
Agent tool
Waymo robotaxi (automated taxi)
Industry
Ride-hailing / autonomous vehicle transportation
No source states: loss or records, could do, deployer.
Severity minor: The passenger was freed only when an officer manually drove the single robotaxi through the water; no third party loss is stated.
A Waymo robotaxi carrying a female passenger in San Diego stopped and reversed when it met a flooded street, then idled in the left lane, keeping her confined inside.
What happened
1 · What it was doingA Waymo robotaxi was carrying a female passenger through a flooded street in San Diego, driving autonomously with no human in the vehicle.
2 · What went wrongIt stopped and reversed at the flooded road, then idled in the left lane instead of clearing the roadway, blocking traffic and trapping the passenger.
3 · What it reached or didThe passenger stayed confined in the vehicle and two robotaxis blocked a lengthy segment of the road's left lane, forcing other drivers to go around.
4 · How it was caughtA hotel guest, Megan Schmidt, filmed the stuck Waymo and posted the video on October 29; the passenger herself was trapped inside.
What was done
An officer arrived and drove the vehicle manually through the water so the woman could continue.