(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) In a bizarre series of events a police officer in Phoenix, Arizona, had to chase down a lawbreaking self-driving car, which went headlong into oncoming traffic, Fox 10 Phoenix reported.
On June 19, camera footage reveals a police officer pulling over a driverless Waymo car in Phoenix.
In footage from the police officer’s body camera that was posted to Twitter, a passerby can be heard approaching the officer, asking him about the incident.
“I couldn’t help but come over here just out of morbid curiosity,” the citizen said. “I thought maybe there was a passenger.”
The officer, who was connected by the car to a service representative, noted that the car “was going eastbound in the westbound lanes, which is real bad.”
He also said that the car tried briefly to get away from him once he initiated the stop. “I light it up and it takes off in the intersection,” he said.
The company responded with a statement, claiming that the car’s illegal maneuvers were done in the interest of safety.
“Waymo cars are better drivers than humans and are three-and-a-half times more likely to avoid crashes,” the company said in a statement.
Defenders of the malfunctioning vehicle claimed that the car was thrown off by unclear construction signage.
According to the Phoenix PD, Waymo cars can be cited, and the company fined, but it does not happen with much frequency.
“Waymo also makes it very easy for law enforcement to simply press the help button, and get connected immediately to a 24/7 service member that will be able to talk them through moving the vehicle off the road, finding the insurance information, and whatever information the officer needs for their investigation,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Brian Bower said.
The cars are reportedly able to detect emergency vehicles, and pull over to the side of the road.
