{"id":"a003efdf-f6da-4848-ad84-67b6000be8e3","slug":"waymo-robotaxi-struck-by-suv-las-vegas-2026-07-19","kind":"collision","headline":"Waymo robotaxi struck by out-of-control SUV on Polaris Avenue, Las Vegas","summary":"On July 19, 2026, a Waymo robotaxi operating in autonomous mode with no occupants was struck on Polaris Avenue near West Sunset Road in Las Vegas by an SUV whose driver lost control; the SUV then hit a power pole. SUV occupants were hospitalized with undisclosed injuries. Waymo stated its vehicle was not at fault.","occurredAt":"2026-07-19T00:00:00.000Z","reviewStatus":"reviewed","modelId":"c9a56a6c-55d4-40e3-b080-70a6f04e6956","deploymentId":"3eec022d-2a93-4d74-81c4-8915a17059bd","companyId":null,"dataCenterId":null,"aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"none","reviewNote":null,"severity":"minor","rootCauseCategory":"human_operator_error","rootCauseDetail":"Human-driven SUV traveling behind the Waymo lost control and struck the robotaxi and a power pole","affectedUnitsCount":1,"affectedUnitsBasis":"exact","remediationStatus":"none","regulatoryAction":"none","regulatoryBody":"none","propertyDamageEstimateUsd":null,"damageEstimateBasis":null,"bodilyInjurySeverity":null,"fatalityCount":null,"lossCostClass":null,"sourceQualityTier":null,"oshaRecordable":null,"oshaCaseNumber":null,"rootCauseDisclosed":null,"publicDisclosureDate":null,"insuranceClaimPublic":null,"formFactor":"av","latitude":null,"longitude":null,"autonomyClass":null,"legalOutcomeClass":"unknown","createdAt":"2026-07-22T03:27:02.606Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-09T05:24:01.599Z","model":{"id":"c9a56a6c-55d4-40e3-b080-70a6f04e6956","companyId":"2128addc-20c8-4c31-aef5-be5ada97aede","modelName":"Waymo Driver (6th gen)","slug":"waymo-driver-gen6","description":"The sixth-generation Waymo Driver is Waymo's autonomous driving stack for fully autonomous robotaxi service. The platform integrates 13 cameras, 4 lidars, 6 radars, and external audio receivers, with overlapping 360° coverage and a detection range up to roughly 500 meters in nominal conditions. Compared to the fifth-generation system on the Jaguar I-PACE, the sixth-gen system uses 42% fewer total sensors. Waymo says the per-unit hardware cost is targeted under $20,000 — a more than 50% reduction from the 5th-gen system. Currently runs on the Zeekr RT (sold as the “Ojai” robotaxi, purpose-built without a steering wheel or pedals) and the Hyundai IONIQ 5; began fully autonomous commercial operations in February 2026.","formFactor":"av","industryVertical":"passenger_transport","environment":"road","maturityStage":"commercial","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByModelId":null,"specs":{"drive_mode":"fully_autonomous","generation":6,"lidar_count":4,"radar_count":6,"camera_count":13,"vehicle_platforms":"Zeekr RT (Ojai); Hyundai IONIQ 5","external_audio_receivers":true,"detection_range_m_nominal_approx":500,"target_unit_cost_usd_under_waymo_stated":20000},"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://waymo.com/blog/2024/08/meet-the-6th-generation-waymo-driver/","label":"Waymo blog — Meet the 6th-generation Waymo Driver (primary announcement, sensor suite + cost targets)","publishedAt":"2024-08-19"},{"url":"https://waymo.com/blog/2026/02/ro-on-6th-gen-waymo-driver/","label":"Waymo blog — Beginning fully autonomous operations with the 6th-gen Driver (primary, commercial launch)","publishedAt":"2026-02-12"},{"url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/12/waymo-begins-deploying-next-gen-ojai-robotaxis-to-extend-its-us-lead.html","label":"CNBC — Waymo begins deploying next-gen Ojai robotaxis (third-party trade coverage of the launch)","publishedAt":"2026-02-12"},{"url":"https://www.wardsauto.com/news/archive-auto-waymo-6th-generation-driver-autonomous-driving-hardware-robotaxi-lidar-ai/725519/","label":"WardsAuto — Inside the 6th-generation Waymo Driver (third-party deep-dive on the hardware suite)","publishedAt":"2024-08-29"}],"aliases":["Waymo Driver Gen6"],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"manufacturerTermForTeleop":null,"keyFacts":[{"label":"Autonomy (company-claimed)","value":"Fully autonomous, SAE Level 4."},{"label":"Sensor suite (company-claimed)","value":"13 cameras, 4 lidars, 6 radars and external audio receivers; 42% fewer sensors than 5th gen."},{"label":"Cameras (company-claimed)","value":"17-megapixel imagers with higher dynamic range and low-light sensitivity."},{"label":"Detection range (company-claimed)","value":"Up to about 500 m in nominal conditions."},{"label":"Compute (reported, unconfirmed)","value":"NVIDIA DRIVE Thor plus Waymo custom compute, with redundant computing engines."},{"label":"Cost target (reported, unconfirmed)","value":"Under $20,000 per unit on top of the vehicle, over 50% below 5th gen (about $9,300 in sensors)."},{"label":"Vehicle platforms (company-claimed)","value":"Zeekr-built Ojai and Hyundai IONIQ 5."},{"label":"Driverless launch (reported, unconfirmed)","value":"Fully driverless operations on the 6th-gen Driver began in February 2026."}],"createdAt":"2026-05-25T04:41:57.633Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-12T22:00:48.775Z","unitsInFieldClaimed":3500,"unitsInFieldVerified":1500,"unitsManufacturedClaimed":3500,"unitsManufacturedVerified":null,"unitsAsOf":"2026-07-08T00:00:00.000Z","unitsSource":[{"url":"https://waymo.com/blog/2025/05/scaling-our-fleet-through-us-manufacturing","label":"1,500 vehicles across San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin"},{"url":"https://www.theverge.com/news/661025/waymo-fleet-size-factory-arizona-jaguar-robotaxi-zeekr","label":"Waymo says it will add 2,000 more robotaxis into 2026"},{"url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/waymo/comments/1r2xc8p/","label":"Waymo has said it plans on adding only 2,000 more vehicles in 2026, for a total fleet size of 3,500"},{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/DZBbunKAnFX/","label":"Waymo runs 577 robotaxis in Texas"}],"salesModel":"not_sold","priceUndisclosedSince":null,"autonomyClass":"autonomous","autonomyStatement":null,"autonomyStatementSource":null,"demoForensics":null,"exportControlClass":null,"minCommitment":null,"warrantyTerms":null,"serviceModel":null,"productionRateClaimed":null,"productionRateEvidenced":null,"teleopRatioDisclosed":null,"interventionRateDisclosed":null},"deployment":{"id":"3eec022d-2a93-4d74-81c4-8915a17059bd","modelId":"c9a56a6c-55d4-40e3-b080-70a6f04e6956","versionId":null,"locationId":"27e81299-d721-49a3-b890-de361377ad84","operatorId":"2128addc-20c8-4c31-aef5-be5ada97aede","ownerId":null,"slug":"waymo-driver-gen6-portland-oregon-usa","status":"announced","firstSeen":"2026-08-04T00:00:00.000Z","statusChangeReason":null,"contractType":null,"pilotOutcome":null,"endedAt":null,"unitsOnSite":null,"tasksPerformed":["delivery"],"shiftStructure":null,"hoursPerDay":16,"siteType":"port","operatorConfirmed":null,"humanSupervisionOnsite":null,"locationPrecisionTier":"verified_coordinates","deploymentScale":"small_2_10","siteEnvironment":"outdoor","operatorType":null,"sourceQualityTier":2,"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://waymo.com/blog/","label":"Waymo is coming to the Rose City — Portland","title":"Waymo is coming to the Rose City — Portland","mediaType":"article","sourceName":"Waymo Blog","publishedAt":"2026-08-04"}],"notes":"Waymo began manually driving vehicles in Portland to familiarize the Waymo Driver with the city's streetscapes; fully autonomous service to follow.","keyFacts":[{"label":"Stage","value":"Manual driving / mapping phase"}],"reviewNote":null,"exposureHours":null,"deploymentMilesEstimate":null,"exposureBasis":null,"customerSegment":"logistics","scaleTier":"pilot_lt10","contractValueUsd":null,"contractValueBasis":null,"customerCompanyId":null,"customerExternalName":null,"createdAt":"2026-08-11T15:06:04.328Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-21T14:21:59.966Z"},"company":null,"derived":{"status":"active"},"sources":[{"id":"4dbfb070-06b7-4725-b1d3-ac336df078ee","incidentId":"a003efdf-f6da-4848-ad84-67b6000be8e3","url":"https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/traffic/waymo-robotaxi-not-at-fault-for-weekend-las-vegas-crash-company-says-3852694/","label":"Las Vegas Review-Journal","publishedAt":"2026-07-20T00:00:00.000Z","notes":null,"title":null,"sourceName":"Las Vegas Review-Journal","mediaType":"article","videoId":null,"channel":null,"durationSec":null,"timestampSec":null,"createdAt":"2026-07-22T03:27:02.606Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-22T03:27:02.606Z"}],"responses":[],"statusEvents":[{"id":"f953dfeb-4314-4244-97ce-522a9bb0b928","incidentId":"a003efdf-f6da-4848-ad84-67b6000be8e3","status":"active","reason":null,"source":"agent:recon","effectiveAt":"2026-07-22T03:27:03.776Z","createdAt":"2026-07-22T03:27:03.776Z"}],"jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/waymo-robotaxi-struck-by-suv-las-vegas-2026-07-19","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/waymo-robotaxi-struck-by-suv-las-vegas-2026-07-19","headline":"Waymo robotaxi struck by out-of-control SUV on Polaris Avenue, Las Vegas","description":"On July 19, 2026, a Waymo robotaxi operating in autonomous mode with no occupants was struck on Polaris Avenue near West Sunset Road in Las Vegas by an SUV whose driver lost control; the SUV then hit a power pole. SUV occupants were hospitalized with undisclosed injuries. Waymo stated its vehicle was not at fault.","identifier":"a003efdf-f6da-4848-ad84-67b6000be8e3","datePublished":"2026-07-19T00:00:00.000Z","articleSection":"collision","publisher":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"},"author":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"}},"framework_metadata":{"framework_schema_version":"0.1.0","verification_status":"verified","maturity_stage":null,"lifecycle_state":null,"architectural_position":{"cohort":null,"sub_cohorts":[]},"within_cohort_verified_vs_claimed_pair":null,"cap_flags":[],"verification_depth":{"sources_count":1,"primary_source_types":[]}}}