A quiet Echo Park hillside turned chaotic on Sunday when a Waymo vehicle shot off a narrow street and slammed into several parked cars, leaving neighbors rattled and at least two vehicles badly banged up. Security cameras and cellphone clips show the van veering up a slope, then smashing into curbside cars in just a few seconds.
Surveillance footage reviewed by NBC Los Angeles shows a blue Waymo van barreling downhill, climbing a small hillside, knocking down a street sign and colliding with multiple parked vehicles. Cellphone video from the aftermath shows the van with a crumpled front end and deployed airbags, and the vehicle reportedly rolled to a stop after its tires went flat.
Neighbors Say It Was A Near Miss
A homeowner who recorded the crash told Yahoo that the Waymo van struck his mother's car and a neighbor's vehicle. He said his brother shoved their mother out of the way just before the van plowed through. The resident estimated the vehicle was moving as fast as 40 miles per hour on the downhill block, where he said locals usually creep along at 5 to 10 mph because the street is so tight.
Waymo Says An Employee Was At The Wheel
Waymo told NBC Los Angeles that an "autonomous specialist" was manually driving the van when it went out of control and that there were no paying riders inside. According to the company, the specialist was able to get out of the vehicle on his own, and no additional injuries were reported.
What This Means For Robotaxis In L.A.
Waymo has been steadily rolling out its robotaxi service across Los Angeles, including Echo Park, a push we covered when the company expanded service to more neighborhoods. The growth has won over some riders, while others have raised questions about safety and oversight.
Those questions did not start with this crash. Last year, a hit and run driver slammed into a Waymo vehicle in downtown Los Angeles and three people were taken to a hospital, as ABC7 reported. Incidents like these have kept regulators and city officials keeping a close eye on how many autonomous miles are being logged on L.A. streets.
In the meantime, the Echo Park collision has sidelined at least two parked cars while owners navigate insurance claims, a resident told Yahoo. Neighbors say they are now waiting to see what, if anything, Waymo and city agencies do next as repairs get underway and any formal investigations move forward.
