SAN FRANCISCO – Waymo, the somewhat divisive, autonomous vehicle and robotaxi company, has confirmed a baby was born in one of its vehicles.
Waymo baby
The company got back to KTVU on Tuesday and confirmed a woman was riding one of the company’s fleet of cars. While en route to one of UCSF’s medical facilities, she gave birth.
The company and UCSF confirmed this happened sometime Monday night. The hospital did not have a statement.
A spokesperson for Waymo said the following: “Waymo’s systems and processes were effective in managing the situation. Our remote Rider Support team detected the unusual activity, initiated a call to check on the rider, and contacted 911.”
Fortunately, the rider and her newborn, arrived safely at the hospital and were able to receive emergency services, Waymo’s spokesperson said.
You might be wondering what happens to a Waymo once someone has given birth inside of one of its vehicles.
The company said the vehicle was, “immediately removed from service for cleaning.”
This isn’t the first baby born in a Waymo. The company said that at least one other baby was born in one of their AVs in Phoenix.
Pets struck and killed
The Mountain View-based AV company has had a few recent controversies involving the striking of pets. A couple of months ago, a beloved Mission bodega cat was run over and killed by one of its vehicles. This was followed by a dog that was struck by a Waymo in the city’s Western Addition neighborhood last month. The dog’s injuries were so bad, it had to be put down.
Congratulations
As for the woman and her baby, Waymo says they are a trusted ride for riders who are just “seconds old to many years young.” They also wished the new family all the best and that they look forward to, “safely getting them where they’re going through many of life’s events.”
There is no word on the identity of the woman or how she or the baby are doing following their ordeal in the AV.
We will update this story with more details if we track down any more information.
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