Two minor passengers in a Waymo driverless taxi in San Francisco, California, were arrested by police after the vehicle detected a firearm inside the vehicle, reports the Los Angeles Times (LAT).
Police earlier this week confirmed the Sept. 3 arrest of two suspects in a self-driving taxi with a “ghost gun” AR-style rifle. This is the name given to firearms in the United States that are assembled at home from parts obtained from various sources, sometimes printed on a 3D printer.
The teenagers were also found with pepper spray and marijuana, but it was not specified at the time under what circumstances the police were called.
Details of the incident were revealed to LAT by a Waymo company representative on Saturday. He noted that “violations of the rules of use” were recorded in the robotaxi in connection with the carrying of firearms. The driverless car stopped at the side of the road and waited for the police.
It is not reported how the detained young man and girl reacted to the situation. Their identities are also not revealed as they are not adults. The police noted that they will continue to investigate the situation, which occurred near the Golden Gate Bridge.
Waymo, which has several thousand self-driving taxis in its fleet in California, complained about ridership in San Mateo County earlier this year. Back then, these were also teenagers who were caught by the robotic vehicle shooting toy guns and drinking alcohol in the backseat. Last year, another offender tried to steal a self-driving car in Los Angeles.
The company was created as a subsidiary of Google in 2009, and in 2016 it was separated into a separate organization as part of the Alphabet holding.
