Overview
- KitKat, the nine-year-old shop cat known as the “Mayor of 16th Street,” was fatally struck late Monday outside Randa’s Market in the Mission District, according to the owner.
- Waymo says its car was stopped to pick up passengers when a nearby cat darted under the vehicle as it pulled away, and the company has not disclosed the donation’s recipient or amount.
- An anonymous 311 complaint alleges the robotaxi did not slow or attempt avoidance, and no onboard video or formal regulatory finding has been made public to clarify what happened.
- A sidewalk memorial with candles, flowers, photos, and Kit Kat bars continues to grow, as tributes and criticism of Waymo spread widely on Instagram, TikTok, and Reddit.
- Experts note current systems can miss objects beneath a vehicle and legal scholars say owners often face limited recourse because pets are treated as property, with California reporting hundreds of self-driving collisions including several involving animals.