The San Francisco Police Department is investigating an accident involving a Zoox autonomous vehicle that crashed into the driver’s side door of a parked car, according to TechCrunch.
Officers responded to the crash, which occurred around 2 a.m. local time on Jan. 17 near the intersection of 15th and Mission Streets, according to the department. The Zoox robot taxi was traveling down 15th Street when a street ambassador named Jamel Durden opened the driver’s door of his 1977 Cadillac Coupe DeVille, according to Mission Local, which first reported the crash.
Durden’s arm was reportedly broken during the crash and the Zoox vehicle sustained damage to its glass doors. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) told TechCrunch that the Zoox vehicle was carrying a passenger at the time, which has not been previously reported. That passenger was a Zoox employee, according to the company, and was not injured, which the SFPD confirmed.
The police department declined to provide TechCrunch with an incident report.”[d]due to the fact that it is still an open investigation.” Zoox has filed its own police report about the incident, the company told TechCrunch, but said no additional details have been requested. In a statement on January 20, Zoox said it was “working with local authorities to provide an accurate description of the incident.”
The California Department of Motor Vehicles, which regulates autonomous vehicles in the state, also met with Zoox about the Jan. 17 crash. The DMV told TechCrunch that Zoox filed a collision report “in compliance with California regulations.” This report is not yet publicly available.
Zoox is in the early stages of building its robotaxi service in San Francisco. In November, the company began offering free rides to members of the public who participate in the Zoox Explorer program for early riders. The company operates a similar program in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This disposition has come with challenges. The Amazon-owned company issued a recall in December to fix a problem where some of its vehicles were crossing center lanes and blocking crosswalks. (Zoox also issued two separate software updates during recalls earlier in 2025 before it began offering public rides.)
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The January accident in San Francisco happened when Durden “suddenly opened” his car door in the path of the robotaxi, according to Zoox. The company said the robotaxi “recognized the opening door and tried to avoid it, but contact was unavoidable.” (Durden could not be reached for comment.)
Zoox also said it offered medical attention to Durden, who reportedly refused. According to Mission Local, Durden refused medical treatment until his car was towed.
“Safety and transparency are fundamental to Zoox and we are working with local authorities to provide an accurate account of the incident,” the company said in a statement.
