"Waymo confirmed on Thursday night that one of its autonomous vehicles killed KitKat, a beloved liquor store cat in the Mission District known by many as "the 16th Street ambassador." "We reviewed this, and while our vehicle was stopped to pick up passengers, a nearby cat darted under our vehicle as it was pulling away," read a statement by Waymo. "We send our deepest sympathies to the cat's owner and the community who knew and loved him, and we will be making a donation to a local animal rights organization in his honor.""
"The two people, who asked to remain anonymous, said they left the bar Dalva on Monday night and saw KitKat sitting in front of the Waymo for about seven seconds. The cat then walked under the Waymo and proceeded to head toward the sidewalk as the car pulled away. It was here that the right rear tire ran over the back part of KitKat's body, they said. "We all started shouting in disbelief. It was an awful sight. The cat was able to crawl about 10 to 12 feet off the road and back onto the sidewalk, where my friends immediately approached it to try and help," said the witness. "I ran back into Dalva to tell them what had happened but it started vomiting blood, and it was clear it wasn't going to make it.""
An autonomous Waymo vehicle struck and killed KitKat, a liquor store cat known as the 16th Street ambassador, around 11:40 p.m. on Monday. Witnesses said the cat sat in front of the Waymo for about seven seconds, walked under the vehicle as it pulled away, and was run over by the right rear tire. Witnesses described the cat crawling 10 to 12 feet and then vomiting blood; the cat did not survive. Waymo stated the vehicle was stopped to pick up passengers and that a nearby cat darted under the vehicle as it pulled away. The company offered condolences and said it will donate to a local animal rights organization but did not specify the amount or recipient. Friends, neighbors, and the cat's owner had identified a Waymo as responsible, and the company did not immediately provide video review or immediate acknowledgment.
Read at Mission Local
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