Beloved city cat killed by robotaxi sparks anti-Waymo sentiment among locals



Kit Kat, a beloved cat who was the mascot of a liquor store in the Mission District of San Francisco, California, was hit and killed by a Waymo vehicle, a self-driving taxi developed by Google. Local residents have voiced their disapproval of Waymo.

KitKat, beloved SF bodega cat, allegedly killed by Waymo
https://missionlocal.org/2025/10/kitkat-mission-liquor-store-mascot-and-16th-st-ambassador-killed-on-monday/



Waymo Was Thriving in San Francisco. Then One of Its Driverless Cars Killed a Cat. - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/us/waymo-san-francisco-kit-kat.html

Beloved SF cat's death fuels Waymo criticism | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/16/beloved-sf-cats-death-fuels-waymo-criticism/

On the night of October 27, 2025, local time, KitKat was hit and killed by a Waymo robotaxi. KitKat was affectionately known as the 'ambassador of 16th Street' by local residents.

Jeff Klein, who was driving behind the crashed vehicle, said he was driving east on 16th Street around 11:40 PM on October 27th when the Waymo robotaxi in front of him suddenly swerved. 'People on the sidewalk started screaming, and then the Waymo swerved and grabbed a cat,' Klein said.

A person who called the city's call center at 12:51 a.m. on the 28th claimed that a Waymo robotaxi had hit a liquor store cat that was sitting on the sidewalk and that the robotaxi hadn't even tried to stop.

Local residents have left flowers and other gifts at the scene of the accident in memory of Kit Kat.




Local residents interviewed by local media outlet Mission Local said things like, 'It's sad. Everyone is sad. I've been crying all day and all night,' and 'He was everyone's favorite, everyone's best friend, and such a sweet boy.'

According to local residents, Kit Kat was a fixture among drinkers near 16th Street and Valencia Street, who would come out to pet him or bring him snacks.

A bartender at the liquor store where Kit Kat lived also said of Kit Kat, 'Whenever people came into the store, he would follow them to make sure nothing had been stolen.' 'He would check through the bars to make sure everything was OK. He was like our little security guard. He was like family.'

Anna Yarbrough, an acquaintance of Kit Kat's owner, Mike Zeidan, said, 'It's heartbreaking to lose a pet to a self-driving car.'

On the evening of the 28th, 15 people were reported to have gathered at the scene of the accident near Valencia Street.




Show Wah Mau, who was enjoying karaoke nearby when KitKat was hit, said he heard a commotion outside and went outside to find KitKat collapsed on the sidewalk and vomiting blood. Mau took KitKat to a 24-hour animal hospital, where he said KitKat passed away shortly after. Zeidan also arrived at the hospital five minutes after KitKat died.

Jackie Fielder, who represents the Mission District on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, cited KitKat in her argument in support of a city resolution calling on the state to allow local voters to decide whether self-driving cars can operate in their neighborhoods.

'If it's a hit-and-run, a human driver might be held accountable, jump out of the car, apologize, and be pursued by the police,' Fielder said. 'But with a self-driving car, there's no one to hold accountable.'

Speaking at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, Waymo CEO Tekedra Mawakana said of the KitKat incident: 'We have investigated this case. While the vehicle was stopped to pick up passengers, a nearby cat snuck under the vehicle. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the cat's owner and the community who loved him. We will make a donation to a local animal shelter in his honor.'




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in Vehicle, Posted by logu_ii