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NEW YORK (AP) — Several key leaders at General Motors' troubled autonomous vehicle unit are no longer with the company amid an ongoing investigation into an October accident involving one of its driverless cars.
Cruise said late Wednesday that nine individuals departed following an initial analysis of the incident on Oct. 2 and the company response after a Cruise robotaxi ran over a pedestrian who had been hit by another vehicle driven by a human. The Cruise vehicle then pinned the pedestrian under one of its tires after coming to a stop.
California regulators have alleged that Cruise covered up the severity of the October accident — which could result in a potential penalty of roughly $1.5 million. The robotaxi service is also being investigated by U.S. regulators after separate receiving reports of potential risks to pedestrians and passengers.
The latest departures include leaders in from legal, government affairs, commercial operations and safety and systems teams, Cruise said. The announcement arrives just weeks after Kyle Vogt resigned as Cruise's CEO.
“As a company, we are committed to full transparency and are focused on rebuilding trust and operating with the highest standards when it comes to safety, integrity, and accountability and believe that new leadership is necessary to achieve these goals," Cruise said Wednesday.
Cruise as faced significant turmoil over recent months. Weeks following the October accident California's Department of Motor Vehicles effectively shut down the robotaxi service by suspending its license to operate in the state — marking a major blow for Cruise and its corporate parent GM. General Motors absorbed huge losses during the development of the driverless service that was supposed to generate $1 billion in revenue by 2025, with plans to expand beyond San Francisco.
Shortly after, Cruise announced it would be pausing driverless operations for a review by independent experts and later recalled all 950 of its cars to update software.