Waymo Passenger Bolts From Self-Driving Car Stuck On Train Tracks As Oncoming Rail Approaches In Phoenix

Harrowing footage captured a Waymo passenger jumping out of a self-driving vehicle moments before a train approached, after the car became stuck on light rail tracks in Phoenix, the New York Post reported Sunday.

The incident occurred Wednesday, when the autonomous vehicle stopped on the tracks and left its passenger with no choice but to flee the car and run to safety, according to KPHO.

Video filmed by a bystander shows the white Waymo vehicle positioned directly on the tracks, with a light rail train approaching nearby. After the passenger exited, the car continued moving along the tracks alongside another train.

“…the Waymo’s on the track, what an idiot. Here comes the train,” the person recording the TikTok video can be heard saying.

Waymo, which launched in Phoenix and now operates commercial robotaxi services in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, and Atlanta, updates its routes and software on a weekly basis. Each vehicle is equipped with 29 cameras designed to help it navigate complex environments.

Experts suggested the vehicle may have been confused by changes in the area. Construction was underway near the site of the incident, and the light rail line had only been added within the past year – factors that may have interfered with the car’s navigation system.

“I actually felt a little sorry for the car. It obviously made a bad decision and got itself in a difficult place,” Andrew Maynard, a professor specializing in emerging and transformative technology at Arizona State University, told KPHO.

“I think Waymo has a challenge because no matter what they do with their system, there are always going to be unexpected circumstances where they have to learn from them,” Maynard said, adding that he still believes autonomous vehicles are generally safer than human drivers.

“These cars, in many circumstances, are safer than human drivers because they don’t have distractions, like a human driver does,” Maynard said.

Valley Metro, which oversees public transportation in the Phoenix region, confirmed the incident took place during the Wednesday morning rush hour.

“At approximately 9 a.m. on Wednesday morning, a Valley Metro employee observed an autonomous Waymo vehicle on the northbound light rail tracks near Southern Avenue and Central Avenue in Phoenix,” the agency said in a statement.

“Our Operations Control Center was immediately notified, light rail operations staff responded to the scene, and Waymo was contacted. To minimize service impacts, northbound and southbound trains exchanged passengers before reversing direction to continue service,” the statement continued.

“The incident caused no significant delays and the scene was clear by 9:15 a.m. For any further information on Waymo, its vehicle or operation, please reach out to Waymo,” Valley Metro added.