--- title: "Two Self-Driving Waymos Just Crashed Into Each Other, Trapping a Third Waymo" description: "Two Waymo robotaxis crashed into each other in a dead-end street, blocking traffic while a third Waymo watches on." date: "2025-12-09" modified: "2025-12-09" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/advanced-transport/waymo-crashed-into-each-other" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" --- # Two Self-Driving Waymos Just Crashed Into Each Other, Trapping a Third Waymo ![Two Waymo robotaxis crashed into each other in a dead-end street, blocking traffic while a third Waymo watches on.]() *u/ High\_Pressure\_Toilet via Reddit* A stranger-than-fiction incident of robot friendly fire in San Francisco left three Waymos stuck twiddling their proverbial thumbs on a dead end street. Moments before, two of the [highly advanced robotaxis]() apparently meandered down the road and collided into each other, blocking all traffic. A third Waymo, it seemed, had also followed the others down the road and got stuck behind the chaos. Footage taken by a bystander captured the aftermath of the incident. One Waymo straddles the street sideways, locked into touching bumpers with its twin that looked like it was traveling up the street before the collision. The third wheel watches from about a dozen feet away. All the while, the cars emit the weird back-up hum that EVs make at low speeds, which evokes something between "angelic aura" and "levitating UFO." "It's like a Waymo standoff," a bystander can be heard remarking in one of the [videos](), complaining that they couldn't leave in their car. "I'm just trying to get out of there, but..." https://www.tiktok.com/@chii_rinna/video/7580959770257984799 The incident took place at Kearney and Vallejo street in North beach, the [*San Francisco Chronicle* reported](). It appears that one Waymo tried to turn around when it realized there was no outlet, during which it was struck by one of its own ilk. A [followup video]() shows a man in a high-vis vest who appears to be a Waymo employee open the driver door of the sideways car, climb inside, and manually back the vehicle up. Moments later, the other Waymo begins to drive itself away, before stopping again. Waymo officials told *SF Chronicle* that the first two robotaxis made "minor contact" while trying to execute multi-points turns to exit the cul-de-sac. The company's self-driving cabs have had their fair share of traffic contretemps. The cars have been caught [endlessly circling roundabouts](), blazing down [the wrong side of the street](), and [blowing through an active police standoff](). The robotaxis are also known for other curious habits, like [congregating in parking lots]() where they honk all night as they struggle to squeeze past each other, or exhibiting stalker-like behavior by repeatedly returning to [linger in front of a random family's home](). Some mishaps have been more severe. Last week, a Waymo [ran over a dog]() that was reportedly playing in the street, in an incident that a passenger who was riding in the robotaxi said left his children crying while a crowd gathered. The accident came just weeks after another Waymo robotaxi killed a beloved bodega cat known to San Francisco locals as Kit Kat, [sparking outrage in the community]() and [becoming a national news story](). Wherever they may roam, the robotaxis [remain controversial](). Though the company, at least according to its own data, boasts a stellar [safety record](), its tech is clearly far from perfect. And perhaps it's now pushing it safety record to its limit, as the [*Wall Street Journal* reported]() last week that Waymo had tinkered with its cars' software [so they drive more aggressively](). Looks like that push is already bearing fruit. **More on robotaxis:** [*Waymo Forced to Halt Overnight Operations As Punishment for Causing Nonstop Ruckus*]() ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()