Cruise’s Self-Driving Car Involved in a Multiple-Injury Collision at an San Francisco Intersection

On June 3, 2022, in San Francisco, California, a Cruise autonomous vehicle operating in driverless autonomous mode was involved in a collision with a Toyota Prius at the intersection of Geary Boulevard and Spruce Street. The incident occurred one day after California regulators granted Cruise a permit to collect fares from passengers with no human safety driver present. According to Cruise's report filed with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the autonomous vehicle was making a left turn on a green light when it came to a stop before completing the turn due to an oncoming Toyota Prius. The Prius was traveling approximately 40 mph in a 25 mph speed zone in what Cruise claimed was a right-turn lane, but the vehicle proceeded straight through the intersection instead of turning right, striking the rear passenger side of the stationary Cruise vehicle. Occupants of both vehicles sustained allegedly minor injuries and received medical treatment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a special investigation into the crash. Following the incident, Cruise temporarily disabled unprotected left turns across its fleet and reduced its operational area until issuing a software update on July 6, 2022. The company subsequently issued a voluntary recall of 80 vehicles, acknowledging that the autonomous driving system was not sufficiently reactive to the sudden path change of the other vehicle.