Cruise to pay $500K fine for lying about robotaxi dragging woman in 2023 SF crash

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The driverless car company Cruise will pay a $500,000 fine after admitting it made a false report to influence a federal investigation.

The Justice Department says Cruise did not tell federal investigators that one of its self-driving cars dragged a woman who had been hit by another car.

The woman was hospitalized for serious injuries.

MORE: GM's Cruise recalling all 950 robotaxis after SF pedestrian dragging incident

The accident at San Francisco's 5th and Market in October 2023 led to Cruise's robotaxis being kicked off city streets.

In addition to the fine, Cruise must create a new safety program.

"Companies with self-driving cars that seek to share our roads and crosswalks must be fully truthful in their reports to their regulators," said Martha Boersch, Chief of the Office of the U.S. Attorney's Criminal Division.

MORE: Cruise fined for delaying report on SF robotaxi dragging incident that severely injured woman

The company told ABC7 News it will follow all the requirements as it moves forward under new leadership.

The California Public Utilities Commission said earlier this year Cruise also had to pay over $110,000 for withholding and not quickly reporting information about the crash.

Cruise also reached a settlement earlier this year with the woman who was dragged, though the exact terms were not revealed.