A driverless Waymo ride in Tampa, Florida, took a frightening turn on October 4 after a Buccaneers game at Raymond James Stadium. A group of young men found themselves riding into oncoming post-game traffic.
The car reportedly turned onto North Himes Avenue. The passengers got out and left it there, reports. According to the station, all lanes on Himes had been redirected for southbound traffic to help clear the stadium’s parking lots.The Waymo went north anyway. It appears the car did not know about the change.
TikTok user @matthewr_83 posted a video from inside the vehicle. His caption reads, “Thought we were done for a second there,” and the clip shows the passengers looking shocked.
Waymo responds to the incident
A second video, sent to WFLA’s 8 On Your Side team by Michael Ripatranzone, shows the car from outside. “Guys, like, I’m outta here!” one person says. After the passengers left, one person shouted, “Your driver sucks!” at the empty car. Another person, referring to the stuck Waymo, said, “Oh, my God, this guy is in the way of everything.”
Waymo told 8 On Your Side it is looking into the incident. “The trust and safety of the communities we operate in is of paramount importance,” a spokesperson said. The spokesperson added, “In Tampa this week, a Waymo vehicle briefly entered a temporary one-way street before correcting the issue. We are looking into this event so we can learn more and improve.”…