Waymo vehicle dodges disabled car after street racing crash on LA freeway

A Waymo driverless taxi detected and steered around a car blocking the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles after a street racing collision, dashcam footage shared by the company's co-CEO shows.

The footage, posted May 13, offers an unscripted look at how autonomous vehicle systems handle sudden highway hazards — a real-world stress test that carries growing relevance for Southern California commuters as self-driving fleets expand across the region.

The incident unfolded on the 10 Freeway when a vehicle involved in a street racing collision struck the freeway wall and came to a stop in the middle of the road, blocking the lane directly in front of an approaching Waymo robotaxi, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

Dmitri Dolgov, co-CEO of Waymo, posted dashcam footage of the encounter on social media, showing the self-driving taxi swerving around the wreck with no human behind the wheel. Dolgov said the vehicle detected the situation early and "maneuvered defensively to safely bypass the scene."

The clip spread widely online following its May 13 posting, drawing attention as an unscripted demonstration of how autonomous vehicle software responds to sudden, high-speed obstacles placed directly in its path.

ABC7 Los Angeles reported that the initial crash was caused by street racing, though the outlet did not identify the drivers involved in the collision.

For commuters and policymakers across Los Angeles and surrounding counties — including Orange County residents who travel the 10 corridor — the footage raises pointed questions about autonomous vehicle performance in uncontrolled highway conditions, a subject regulators continue to monitor as Waymo scales its commercial ride-hail operations in the area.

How Waymo's autonomous fleet handles emergencies like this one is expected to remain a focal point for California transportation regulators as the company pushes its driverless service deeper into the Los Angeles region.