Imagine this: You decide to try Google’s Waymo self-driving taxis. You get your whole family buckled in, and the car takes off across San Francisco. Suddenly, you hear a loud thump and feel the vehicle run over something. Your kids start screaming. You’re shouting. And your self-driving taxi has no clue it just hit a small dog.

This is the exact situation a Redditor who goes by “braveNewWorldView” shared over Thanksgiving weekend. “I was in a Waymo … Next thing I heard was yelping. I didn’t see the dog before the impact, but the kids were screaming about it.”

Their Reddit post became a plea for help in real time. “Our Waymo just ran over a dog. Trying to call customer support. Called the police. Crowd is gathering not sure what to do.”

The family stepped out of the car to see if the dog was alright. It sounds like the animal ran away.

The car waited, but the passenger’s Waymo app timed out. They had no way to contact technical support. That’s why the Redditor posted, hoping someone could share a phone number. I’m honestly shocked Waymo doesn’t have a “call this number to talk to a real human” sticker plastered inside every self-driving taxi.

How the company responded

The passengers eventually found a number online and called the company. Waymo filed a collision report. The company later sent team members to the area to look for the dog’s owner and offer veterinary services. Waymo has since publicly confirmed that its taxi hit what it’s calling a “small,” “unleashed” dog.

“Unfortunately, a Waymo vehicle made contact with a small, unleashed dog in the roadway. We are dedicated to learning from this situation and how we show up for our community as we continue improving road safety in the cities we serve,” the Waymo spokesperson said.

The passenger added, “It’s going to be a while before my kids will be willing to try it again.” They also had some feedback for Google: “I suggested a wellness check feature that would check on passengers should the car detect panic screaming.”

According to San Francisco’s Channel 4 news, a Waymo killed a Mission District cat just weeks ago — a neighborhood favorite lovingly nicknamed “The Mayor of 16th Street.” The biggest self-driving crash headline yet may still be the Cruise taxi that ran over a pedestrian and dragged her 20 feet. The Chevy-backed company agreed to pay the woman $8 million, and the taxi service has shut down.

Waymo says, “We have not received a status update on the dog.”