Early Sunday morning in Tempe, a red-light runner turned a routine drive into a multi-car mess at the busy intersection of Baseline Road and Priest Drive. Two Waymo self-driving vans were caught in the chain-reaction crash, and three people were taken to nearby hospitals as first responders swarmed the scene.
According to Arizona's Family, the wreck started when a driver blew through a red light and hit another car. The force of that impact pushed the struck vehicle into two autonomous Waymo vans. Authorities said neither Waymo vehicle had passengers on board at the time. Tempe Fire told the outlet that three people from the initial collision were taken to the hospital and are listed in stable condition.
Intersection Shut Down As Crews Work The Scene
Drivers hoping to cut across town were greeted with flashing lights and roadblocks instead. “Drivers are asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes,” Arizona's Family reported, with officials expecting the intersection to stay closed for several hours. Tempe police and fire crews remained on scene, sorting through twisted metal while investigators worked to piece together exactly how the crash unfolded.
Crash Renews Focus On Baseline Road Safety
For locals, trouble along this stretch of Baseline Road is nothing new. The corridor between Priest Drive and the 101 has been on the city’s safety to-do list after a series of serious crashes. Tempe recently landed a $12.5 million federal Safe Streets and Roads for All grant to pay for signalized crossings, protected turn lanes and other upgrades along the route, $12.5 million safety grant reported.
Waymo Vans Bring Extra Scrutiny
Any time autonomous vehicles are involved in a crash, investigators tend to lean in a little closer. Company video and telemetry can provide a frame-by-frame replay of what happened, often giving police more data than they get from a typical fender bender. Waymo has said in the past that it cooperates with local investigators, and earlier coverage of a Tempe crash detailed how the company responds to such incidents, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.
Tempe police say they are still investigating what led to Sunday’s chain-reaction collision and whether any citations will follow. This story will be updated as the department releases its findings.
