A passenger exited a Waymo autonomous vehicle after it stopped on Phoenix light-rail tracks on Jan. 7 while a train approached. Valley Metro staff alerted operations, trains briefly reversed, and the scene was cleared in about 15 minutes with no reported injuries or lasting service disruption. An ASU professor described the event as a rare "edge case" likely related to recent construction and a new light-rail extension. PEOPLE has contacted Waymo for comment; the incident follows a previously reported Waymo near-miss.
Waymo Rider Flees As Self-Driving Car Stops On Phoenix Light-Rail Tracks
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via GettyStock photo of a Waymo self-driving car
A passenger exited a Waymo autonomous vehicle after it came to a stop on newly extended Phoenix light-rail tracks on the morning of Jan. 7, footage captured by a bystander shows. The vehicle briefly sat on the rails as a light-rail train approached before moving again; no injuries were reported and rail service was not significantly disrupted.
Where and when: The incident occurred near Central and Southern avenues in south Phoenix, an area recently affected by light-rail construction and a new route extension, according to local reporting.
Sequence of events
Video shows the rider leaving the vehicle while it remained on the tracks. Valley Metro staff who noticed the car alerted operations, and trains briefly reversed direction to limit disruption. Phoenix police say they received a call but the Waymo vehicle had departed before officers arrived; authorities reported no interruption to light-rail service and the scene was cleared in roughly 15 minutes.
Smith Collection/Gado/GettyStock photo of a Waymo self-driving car
Expert reaction
“Humans are really good at seeing a brand new situation and trying to work out how to get around it,” Arizona State University professor Andrew Maynard told KPNX, calling the episode a rare "edge case" for autonomous systems.
Maynard explained that self-driving vehicles perform best on carefully mapped roads and can be thrown off by sudden structural changes—such as nearby construction or a recently added light-rail alignment. He noted that while autonomous systems often reduce human errors and distractions, they can struggle when confronted with unexpected scenarios.
Context and follow-up
PEOPLE reported it has contacted Waymo for comment. The company has not publicly disclosed details about the vehicle's decision-making in this incident. The event follows a previously reported Waymo near-miss in which a rider said the vehicle unexpectedly moved into oncoming traffic; that earlier episode ended without collision because another driver intervened.
Bottom line: The episode is being treated as an isolated "edge case" influenced by recent changes to the roadway. Authorities and transit staff say the incident posed no lasting danger to rail service or public safety, and investigations or follow-up statements from Waymo may provide additional detail.
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