A Phoenix police officer stopped a Waymo autonomous vehicle after the car ran a red light and entered a lane of oncoming traffic, according to radio reports.
On June 19, disturbing footage emerged showing the vehicle erratically navigating through traffic before coming to a stop in a parking lot, as captured by bodycams and released by native media. Footage from a unique perspective shows the officer’s vantage point as he approaches an unoccupied vehicle.
According to dispatch reports in all capital letters, the vehicle in question “FREAKED OUT,” leaving the responding officer unable to issue a citation to the affected computer system, as reported by the Arizona Republic.
According to a statement provided to TechCrunch, Waymo’s autonomous vehicle encountered conflicting traffic signs and briefly entered an unoccupied lane heading in the opposite direction, occupying it for approximately 30 seconds before being blocked from returning to its intended lane.
The spokesperson revealed that the entire incident lasted around one minute and there were no passengers in the vehicle.
Alphabet’s Waymo subsidiary has voluntarily recalled its self-driving software twice this year. The protection of its software programs can also be ensured by federal regulators.
