A Waymo robotaxi entered an active Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) scene in Hollywood on Jan. 2, 2026, driving past emergency flares and into an area officials had blocked off, KABC-TV reported.
Witnesses told KABC the autonomous taxi took a wrong turn on Melrose Avenue, remained inside the restricted zone for roughly 10 minutes, then performed a U-turn and departed. Reporters said there appeared to be at least one passenger in the vehicle.
Waymo, which operates driverless taxis in multiple U.S. cities and is owned by Alphabet, did not provide additional details in the report cited by local media.
The incident adds to a series of reported problems and unusual events involving autonomous vehicles that have drawn attention from law enforcement and lawmakers.
A driverless Waymo robotaxi making an illegal U-turn in San Bruno has highlighted a major gap in traffic law enforcement. Police on DUI patrol witnessed the Jaguar I-Pace maneuver, but under current California law, moving violations can only be issued to human drivers. With no… pic.twitter.com/CaCwn0gx8v
— NextMetropolis (@NextMetropolis) October 3, 2025
Key supporting facts and recent related incidents:
• In September 2025, a Waymo vehicle in San Bruno made an illegal U‑turn in front of police conducting a DUI checkpoint; officers said they could not issue a moving-violation ticket because current California law allows such citations only for human drivers.
• California lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 1777 to address some enforcement gaps, but the report said the law would not take effect until July, leaving a temporary enforcement gap.
• Networks reported a September 2025 Atlanta incident in which a Waymo vehicle allegedly passed a stopped school bus with flashing lights; a human driver caught doing the same could face a large fine.
• Other high-profile events tied to Waymo vehicles include the Oct. 27, 2025, incident in San Francisco in which a cat named Kit Kat was struck and killed by a Waymo taxi and separate reports that riders have given birth in the back seats of these vehicles while en route to hospitals.
Implications cited in the coverage include questions about enforcement of traffic laws when no human driver is present, the need for software fixes or reprogramming after errors, and continuing legislative work to address autonomous-vehicle enforcement and safety gaps.
What is known from the Hollywood report is limited to the vehicle’s movement into a blocked-off fire scene, the estimated time it remained in the restricted area, the presence of at least one passenger, and the vehicle’s subsequent departure. The report did not say whether emergency responders were impeded or whether any injuries or property damage occurred.
The company operates driverless taxi services in at least five U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Phoenix and Atlanta.
Original reporting cited: KABC-TV and related news coverage of prior Waymo incidents.