An autonomous Waymo robotaxi drove through a farmer’s market in Denver this weekend during its setup. No one was injured in the incident.
Shari Wilkins, an assistant manager for the market, told KUSA-TV that around 8:40 a.m. local time Sunday that “there was kind of like commotion. People were like, ’Oh my god. There’s a Waymo driving down.’” The South Pearl Farmer’s Market takes place in Denver between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. every Sunday from May 3 to Nov. 8 this year.
Marilyn Kahlich, the farmer’s market and event coordinator for the weekly event, told the Denver Post that “fortunately, (the Waymo) was traveling the correct flow of vendor setup and went slowly, avoiding all obstacles. No one was hurt, there wasn’t any damage, no one felt in danger.”
A Waymo spokesperson said that “the trust and safety of the community is our top priority. We are dedicated to learning from this situation as we continue improving road safety in the cities we serve,” according to KMGH-TV.
The company, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, will not face any legal repercussions for the incident.
A Denver Police Department spokesperson told KUSA-TV that “If there’s no driver, there currently isn’t a mechanism within state law for issuing a citation,” and the Colorado State Patrol concurred with the statement.
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