Cruise offers $75,000 to end California regulator's probe after self-driving taxi dragged pedestrian

General Motors' Cruise offered $75,000 on Friday to settle a California regulator's investigation following an incident that resulted in a pedestrian being dragged by one of its self-driving vehicles.

According to Fox Business, GM's autonomous taxi service unit proposed a settlement offer to resolve the California Public Utilities Commission's probe into allegations that Cruise failed to disclose information involving the incident.

In October, a pedestrian was hit by a vehicle operated by a human and thrown into the path of an autonomous Cruise car. The driverless vehicle dragged the individual 20 feet while attempting to pull over. As a result, both California and the National High Traffic Safety Administration launched investigations into the incident.

According to the CPUC, an official for Cruise notified the commission's analyst the day after the incident but "omitted that the Cruise [autonomous vehicles] had engaged in the pullover maneuver which resulted in the pedestrian being dragged an additional 20 feet at 7 mph." The CPUS claimed Cruise misled "through omission" and provided "misleading public comments" regarding the company's dealings with the commission.

Cruise responded to the probes in November, stating, "In the incident being reviewed by the DMV, a human hit and run driver tragically struck and propelled the pedestrian into the path of the AV. The AV braked aggressively before impact and because it detected a collision, it attempted to pull over to avoid further safety issues."

"When the AV tried to pull over, it continued before coming to a final stop, pulling the pedestrian forward," the statement continued.

In addition to launching an investigation, California also pulled the company's testing permits, prohibiting the autonomous vehicles from driving on public roads, Blaze News previously reported. In November, Cruise announced that it would halt operations across the United States and recall all of its 950 driverless vehicles to conduct software updates.

Following the incident, the company terminated nine executives and 24% of its workforce in December. CEO Kyle Vogt and co-founder Dan Kan also stepped down from their positions.

"Cruise is committed to rebuilding trust with our regulators, increased transparency and cooperation with the CPUC, and providing the data and information the Commission needs to ensure that AV service is safe, equitable and accessible," the company told Fox Business.

As part of Cruise's settlement offer, it plans to provide the CPUC with enhanced reporting. Additionally, it is requesting that the February 6 hearing, ordered by the CPUC last month, be deferred.

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