San Francisco police investigate Zoox autonomous vehicle crash

The San Francisco Police Department is investigating a collision involving a Zoox autonomous vehicle that was carrying a passenger at the time of the incident. The crash occurred around 2 p.m. on January 17 near the intersection of 15th and Mission Streets in San Francisco, California. The Zoox robotaxi—an autonomous vehicle operating as a taxi service—was traveling along the street when Jamel Durden, a street ambassador (an employee role), opened the driver’s-side door of his 1977 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.

During the collision, Durden’s hand was reportedly smashed, and the Zoox vehicle suffered damage to its glass doors. The passenger inside the robotaxi was a Zoox employee who was not injured in the crash. While the police department declined to release an incident report because it is still investigating an accident, Zoox filed its own report with local authorities.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles, which regulates autonomous vehicles in the state, has met with Zoox regarding the January 17 crash. Zoox, which is owned by Amazon, filed a crash report with the state regulator in compliance with California regulations. The incident comes as Zoox is in the early stages of expanding its robotaxi service. In November, the company started offering free rides to members of the public who are part of the “Zoox Explorer” early-rider program in San Francisco. The company is operating a similar program in Las Vegas, Nevada. This expansion follows previous challenges, including a recall in December and two software updates during recalls earlier in 2025 to address vehicles crossing center lanes and blocking crosswalks.

According to Zoox, the robotaxi identified the opening door and tried to avoid it but contact was unavoidable. The company stated that it offered medical attention to Durden, who declined. In a statement issued on January 20, the company addressed the ongoing investigation. “Safety and transparency are foundational to Zoox, and we are cooperating with local authorities to provide an accurate account of the incident,” the company said.

Why it matters

As Zoox scales its robotaxi service, this incident highlights the ongoing friction between autonomous vehicle deployment and urban environments, drawing increased regulatory attention.