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Cruise driverless robotaxi dragged a pedestrian ~20 feet in San Francisco

[INJURY]

Oct 2, 2023 · Cruise · Cruise AV (Chevrolet Bolt) · San Francisco

All Incidents

Failure Mode

INJURY

Event Date

Oct 2, 2023

Primary Entity

Cruise

Robotic Platform

Cruise AV (Chevrolet Bolt)

Jurisdiction / Location

San Francisco

Audit Standard

Physical State Verified

Incident Abstract & Audit Findings

On the night of Oct 2, 2023, at the intersection of Market and 5th streets in San Francisco, a human hit-and-run driver struck a woman crossing the street, knocking her into the path of a driverless Cruise robotaxi (a Chevrolet Bolt AV). The Cruise vehicle braked but ran over the pedestrian and, failing to detect that she was trapped underneath, attempted a pull-over maneuver, dragging her approximately 20 feet to the curb at about 7 mph.

System & Fleet Architecture

Operating Manufacturer

CruiseView Manufacturer

Hardware Platform

Cruise AV (Chevrolet Bolt)

Operational Sectors

Physical AI / Robotics

Primary Sources & Evidentiary Filings

  • https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/04/cruise-faces-fines-in-california-for-withholding-key-details-in-robotaxi-accident

    https://techcrunch.com/2023/12/04/cruise-faces-fines-in-california-for-withholding-key-details-in-robotaxi-accident

  • https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2024/08/26/nhtsa-ends-one-cruise-investigation-following-recall-of-fleets-software/

    https://www.repairerdrivennews.com/2024/08/26/nhtsa-ends-one-cruise-investigation-following-recall-of-fleets-software/

  • https://www.ctol.digital/news/cruise-fined-1-5-million-pedestrian-accident-reporting-failure/

    https://www.ctol.digital/news/cruise-fined-1-5-million-pedestrian-accident-reporting-failure/

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/nhtsa-robotaxi-cruise-pay-penalty-failing-report-san-francisco-crash-involving-pedestrian/

    https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/nhtsa-robotaxi-cruise-pay-penalty-failing-report-san-francisco-crash-involving-pedestrian/

  • https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/cruise-admits-submitting-false-report-influence-federal-investigation-and-agrees-pay

    https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndca/pr/cruise-admits-submitting-false-report-influence-federal-investigation-and-agrees-pay

  • https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/cruise-automation-admits-false-report-sf-pedestrian-dragging/

    https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/cruise-automation-admits-false-report-sf-pedestrian-dragging/

Related Incidents & Failure Precedents

6 records on file

Incident Context & FAQ

What happened in Cruise driverless robotaxi dragged a pedestrian ~20 feet in San Francisco?

On the night of Oct 2, 2023, at the intersection of Market and 5th streets in San Francisco, a human hit-and-run driver struck a woman crossing the street, knocking her into the path of a driverless Cruise robotaxi (a Chevrolet Bolt AV). The Cruise vehicle braked but ran over the pedestrian and, failing to detect that she was trapped underneath, attempted a pull-over maneuver, dragging her approximately 20 feet to the curb at about 7 mph. The woman suffered severe injuries and was hospitalized for months. The incident became the most consequential robotaxi safety event in US history, not only for the crash but for Cruise's subsequent failure to disclose the dragging to regulators. Cruise's initial NHTSA report and a same-day verbal briefing omitted the secondary movement and dragging; the omission was characterized by federal prosecutors as rendering the report inaccurate and incomplete. The fallout: the California DMV suspended Cruise's driverless permits and the CPUC suspended its testing permit within ~3 weeks; Cruise pulled all driverless vehicles off the road nationwide; CEO Kyle Vogt resigned in Nov 2023; and the company faced penalties from four directions: a $112,500 CPUC settlement, a $1.5 million NHTSA civil penalty (consent order), a $500,000 federal criminal fine via a DOJ deferred prosecution agreement for filing a false report, and a reported $8-12 million settlement with the injured pedestrian. GM stopped funding Cruise's robotaxi business in Dec 2024.

When did this incident occur?

The incident is recorded as occurring on October 2, 2023 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.

What robot was involved in Cruise driverless robotaxi dragged a pedestrian ~20 feet in San Francisco?

Cruise AV (Chevrolet Bolt) by Cruise is the recorded robot involved in this incident at San Francisco.

Has anyone responded to Cruise driverless robotaxi dragged a pedestrian ~20 feet in San Francisco?

1 response is recorded on the DEPLOY registry, from Cruise. Each response is append-only with structured provenance.

What is the current status of Cruise driverless robotaxi dragged a pedestrian ~20 feet in San Francisco?

This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.