Tampa, FloridaRobotaxis
Robotaxi carrying students turns into oncoming traffic after a Bucs game in Tampa
The car turned onto a street converted to one-way for the stadium crowd, stopped without hitting anything, and its riders got out and walked.
TAMPA — A group of University of Tampa students took a Waymo robotaxi back toward campus after the Buccaneers' game against the Packers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 4. One of the riders said that soon after they got in, the car refused to make a turn and sat for about 30 minutes while other drivers honked.
The riders called Waymo's support line. Just as someone answered, the car turned onto North Himes Avenue, which had been converted to southbound-only traffic to help clear the stadium's parking lots, and headed into oncoming traffic. It stopped without hitting anything. After sitting in shock for a few minutes, the riders got out, leaving the empty car stopped in a traffic lane, and walked for about 40 minutes toward campus before taking an Uber the rest of the way. Their video of the ride spread widely on TikTok.
Waymo said one of its vehicles "briefly entered a temporary one-way street" before its team corrected the issue, and that it is looking into the event so it can learn more and improve. The rider who posted the video said he would ride in one again, just not around a big crowd.
At a glance
- Where
- North Himes Avenue near Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
- When
- Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, after the Buccaneers–Packers game
- What
- A driverless robotaxi with passengers turned into oncoming traffic on a street converted to one-way for game traffic
- Operator
- Waymo
- Collision
- None; the car stopped without hitting anything
- Company's account
- The car briefly entered a temporary one-way street before its team corrected the issue, Waymo said
Original headline: “University of Tampa students recall a Waymo ride gone wrong”
Read the full story on WUSFAlso reported by WFLA and FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Summary written by sonr from published news reports. sonr was not involved in this incident and isn't affiliated with the companies or news outlets named.