Waymo Self-Driving Taxi Crashes Police Crime Scene Barrier in London, Sparks Outrage

A Waymo self-driving taxi disrupted a London police investigation late Wednesday night after driving through a taped-off crime scene in Harlesden, a borough in Northwest London.

Police had closed the road to investigate a double-stabbing, securing the area with crime scene tape and flashing squad cars. The incident remained under control until the Waymo vehicle entered the restricted zone, according to reports from The Telegraph.

A video shared on social media captured the moment the Waymo broke through the police cordon. Officers attempted to block the vehicle, triggering a warning chirp from the squad car. A bystander was heard saying,

“He can’t see the — can’t see the lights. Oh my days, bruv… that’s a Waymo driverless taxi, y’know, the driverless ones. Look what happened.”

Waymo responded to the incident, stating that the vehicle had been under human control at the time of the breach. No damage was reported at the crime scene.

Waymo’s Expanding Presence in London

While many Waymo-related incidents have occurred in the San Francisco Bay Area, the company has recently expanded its operations to London. Waymo, owned by Google’s parent company Alphabet, announced its London expansion in October 2025. The driverless pilot program began this month in several London boroughs, including Lambeth, Westminster, Kensington, and Chelsea.

Given the company’s history of technical issues, Londoners may face similar challenges as Waymo’s autonomous vehicles become more common in the city.

More on Waymo’s Challenges

For further insights into Waymo’s operational hurdles, read: It Turns Out That When Waymos Are Stumped, They Get Intervention From Workers in the Philippines.