Terrifying Encounter: Unraveling the Mystery Behind a Woman Trapped Under a Driverless Car

A pedestrian was discovered severely injured and trapped beneath a driverless car in downtown San Francisco on Monday night. However, the company operating the autonomous vehicle denies any responsibility. According to Justin Schorr, spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department, the victim has sustained multiple life-threatening injuries.

The Cruise AV, a driverless vehicle operated by Cruise, a self-driving car company based in San Francisco and a subsidiary of General Motors (GM), was involved in an incident where a pedestrian was injured. According to Cruise spokesperson Navideh Forghani, it was actually another human-driven vehicle that struck the pedestrian while traveling in the adjacent lane. The initial impact was significant, causing the pedestrian to be launched in front of the AV. In response, the AV applied the brakes aggressively to minimize the impact. The driver of the other vehicle involved fled the scene.

Schorr stated that the company's representatives acted promptly at the accident site and have been fully cooperating with investigators.

According to Schorr, there were no occupants in the vehicle to provide information about the incident. However, he mentioned that Cruise cars are equipped with their own cameras and gather various telemetric data, which could potentially assist in the accident investigation. He noted that this was an exceptional response for San Francisco.

The unnamed pedestrian is currently receiving medical treatment at San Francisco General Hospital for severe injuries deemed life-threatening, according to a spokesperson from the Fire Department. The San Francisco Police Department is currently conducting an investigation into the accident but has not yet provided any details regarding the cause.

"Our primary concern is the well-being of the injured individual, and we are collaborating with the police to assist in identifying the driver responsible," stated a spokesperson from Cruise.

Controversial driverless cars

San Francisco has experienced controversy surrounding Cruise, as regulators in California recently gave approval for robotaxi companies to run their autonomous vehicles around the clock within the city.

The company's autonomous vehicles have been held accountable for causing extensive traffic congestion and numerous accidents, including a notable incident with a fire truck. A driverless taxi operated by the company entered a construction zone and came to a halt in freshly poured wet concrete.

Cruise has consented to the California Department of Motor Vehicles' appeal for a 50% reduction in its fleet as it undertakes remedial measures.

Creating safe, fully autonomous passenger vehicles is increasingly challenging, as recent events have highlighted.

In 2016, General Motors made a significant move in the race for autonomous vehicles by acquiring Cruise Automation for a staggering $1 billion. However, numerous companies have subsequently scaled back or completely shelved their driverless car aspirations. This decision stems from the high costs associated with the endeavor and the challenging and time-consuming task of mastering all the possible driving situations that humans regularly encounter.

Uber and Lyft, the market leaders in ridesharing, have sold their autonomous vehicle divisions in the past few years. Even the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, known for his enthusiasm about self-driving technology, has not completely fulfilled his pledge.

However, proponents argue that driverless vehicles continue to be safer than those operated by humans.