A Waymo passenger fled from a self-driving car after it stopped on Phoenix light rail tracks with a train approaching nearby. The unsettling moment was captured on video by a bystander.
The footage shows the passenger fleeing from the vehicle as it sits on the tracks before continuing forward near another train. The incident occurred on the morning of Jan. 7 near Central and Southern avenues in south Phoenix, where the light rail extension is still relatively new, per KPNX.
Phoenix police say they received a call about the incident, but confirmed the Waymo vehicle left the area before officers arrived, according to the outlet. Authorities reported no disruption to light rail service.
A Valley Metro spokesperson told the outlet that an employee who noticed the Waymo vehicle immediately alerted operations staff. Trains briefly reversed direction to minimize service impacts, and the scene was cleared within about 15 minutes.
“I actually felt a little sorry for the car,” Arizona State University professor Andrew Maynard told the outlet, explaining that the vehicle appeared to make a bad decision in an unfamiliar situation. He described the moment as a rare “edge case,” where autonomous systems struggle to react the way a human driver might.
Maynard told the outlet that self-driving cars perform best on carefully mapped roads but can become confused by sudden structural changes. He said nearby construction and the recent addition of the light rail may have played a role in the car ending up on the tracks.
“Humans are really good at seeing a brand new situation and trying to work out how to get around it,” Maynard said, per KPNX. He added that autonomous vehicles are “smarter than humans when they know the road,” but can falter when something completely unexpected appears.
Despite the frightening visuals, Maynard said these vehicles are often safer than human drivers, due to fewer distractions, and are designed to respond quickly once issues are identified.
PEOPLE has reached out to Waymo for comment on the incident.
The latest incident follows a previously reported near-miss involving a Waymo passenger whose ride suddenly swerved into oncoming traffic. In that case, the first-time rider said he felt helpless as another driver was forced to honk and swerve to avoid a collision.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Video from that encounter showed the passenger screaming as the autonomous vehicle pulled into the path of another car. The close call ended without impact only because the other driver reacted in time.
