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Woman dragged by Cruise robotaxi gets over $8M settlement: Report

A self-driving car, equipped with multiple sensors on top, is parked on a city street at night, with a man standing nearby talking on a phone.
SFPD personnel stand behind a Cruise autonomous vehicle on Market at Fifth Street after the robotaxi struck and dragged a woman 20 feet down Market Street on Oct. 2, 2023. | Source: Courtesy KGO-TV/ABC7 News

Robotaxi company Cruise has paid out between $8 million and $12 million to a woman who was dragged 20 feet by one of its autonomous vehicles in downtown San Francisco last fall, according to Fortune.

California Department of Motor Vehicles officials say Cruise didn’t show regulators complete footage of an Oct. 2 incident in Downtown San Francisco where a robotaxi dragged a woman after she was hit by a human driver.

The DMV suspended Cruise’s driverless taxi permits. The company is now taking steps to reinstate its license to drive passengers around autonomously in San Francisco and is set to resume operations in Phoenix soon.

Firefighters in dark-colored gear with fluorescent stripes stand near a department heavy rescue vehicle.
Firefighters respond to a report of a woman trapped under a Cruise robotaxi on Oct. 2, 2023. | Source: Courtesy San Francisco Fire Department

Citing an anonymous source whose information was independently verified, Fortune confirmed the settlement but was unable to identify the victim of the October crash, which resulted in life-threatening injuries.

After the point of impact, the Cruise vehicle came to a stop with the woman trapped underneath. However, the robotaxi then attempted to pull over while the pedestrian was under the vehicle, which dragged her about 20 feet at a speed of 7 mph before coming to a final stop.

The victim is said to have been discharged from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital after arriving in critical condition, Fortune reports.

In the aftermath of the incident, General Motors cut Cruise’s annual budget by $1 billion and replaced almost all of its management team. Tax filings show that the robotaxi firm has lost over $9 billion since GM took over in 2016.

“The hearts of all Cruise employees continue to be with the pedestrian, and we hope for her continued recovery,” a Cruise spokesperson said in a statement.

Joe Burn can be reached at jburn@sfstandard.com