A Waymo passenger in the United States was forced to abandon a self-driving vehicle after it unexpectedly came to a halt on light rail tracks with an oncoming train in the distance.
The incident occurred in Phoenix on Wednesday morning. According to witnesses, the autonomous vehicle suddenly stopped while crossing the light rail path.
Video captured by a bystander shows the passenger quickly exiting the vehicle after spotting an approaching light rail train. In the footage, the autonomous car appears to struggle with its positioning, attempting to move forward along the tracks before briefly reversing. The train is then seen stopping at a station a few metres ahead of the vehicle.
A Valley Metro spokesperson said an employee who noticed the Waymo vehicle immediately notified the operations control centre.
Police confirmed they received a call regarding the incident, but the Waymo vehicle had successfully cleared the tracks and departed before officers arrived. Authorities reported that there were no injuries and no disruption to the light rail service.