Waymo's Self-Driving Crash in Arizona Revives Hard Questions

A self-driving Waymo minivan crashed in Chandler, Arizona, this afternoon, resurrecting tough questions about the safety of autonomous technology and ripping the barely-crusted scab off the technology's reputation, which was badly wounded when an Uber self-driving car hit and killed a pedestrian in the same state just seven weeks ago. According to a police statement, a Honda sedan traveling eastbound through an intersection swerved into the Waymo Chrysler Pacifica's westbound lane to avoid hitting another car traveling north. The Honda hit the Waymo vehicle on its side, injuring the female safety driver behind the wheel of the SUV. Police say the vehicle was in autonomous mode when the incident occurred and was not traveling above the 45 mph speed limit. Waymo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.