TEMPE, Ariz. — A motorcyclist died early Sunday morning after a crash involving a self-driving Waymo vehicle near Arizona State University’s Tempe campus, police confirmed.
The collision happened around 1:30 a.m. near Lemon Street and Rural Road. According to Tempe police, the crash involved two cars and a motorcycle. The rider, whose identity has not been released, was taken to a nearby hospital but later pronounced dead from his injuries.
Local outlet AZFamily reported that after the motorcyclist struck the Waymo, another vehicle hit him and then left the scene without stopping. Police have not released further details about the suspected hit-and-run driver.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not yet confirmed whether the Waymo was in autonomous mode at the time of the crash.
This fatal accident comes as Tempe continues to be a focal point in the debate over self-driving vehicles. The city was the site of the nation’s first pedestrian death involving an autonomous Uber test vehicle in 2018, which intensified scrutiny over safety protocols for driverless technology.
