PHOENIX — One of Waymo's self-driving cars crashed into a pole in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday.
The Phoenix Police Department said an unoccupied car struck a pole located in an alleyway near 7th Avenue and Roosevelt Street. The autonomous car sustained minor damage and no injuries were reported.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Coche Waymo chocó contra un poste en Phoenix
Jericka Mitchell told 12News she's visiting Phoenix and decided to try out the Waymo service by ordering a ride. As Mitchell was waiting for the car to arrive, Mitchell recalled hearing the crash.
"It never made it to pick us up," Mitchell said.
Waymo has not responded to an inquiry from 12News about the crash.
The company is currently being subjected to an investigation conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after Waymo cars were involved in up to eight crashes throughout the Valley since December 2022. No injuries were reported in any of those incidents.
Waymo has previously said it's "proud of our performance and safety record over tens of millions of autonomous miles driven."
The company's self-driving cars have been offering rides in Arizona to the public for the last couple of years.
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How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.