San Francisco is mourning the death of KitKat, the beloved corner store cat who died after being hit by a Waymo robotaxi last week.
KitKat has graced the shelves of Randa's Market on 16th Street, near the historic Roxy Theater in the Mission District. KitKat was the first presented on the store's Instagram page six years ago, quickly winning the hearts of customers. He was not a sullen or suspicious cat – he was visible playing with someone's strings hanging from a sweatshirt; dozing in front of shelves with bottles of alcohol; inside carton marked with his name; greetings neighbor's dogs; even dressing up like Santa Claus.
He rose to fame during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only was he posted on @bodegacatsofinstagram check (which now has over 500,000 subscribers) but also received a mention in the news story about your favorite store cats. “The atmosphere in the store has definitely changed since KitKat came out,” Daniel Zeidan, the store owner’s son, told SFGate. Not only did he receive treats from customers, but “someone recently brought him a blanket to keep him warm in the winter.”
Just recently he was caught curled up sleeping alone. warmer.
He even did appearance at nearby bar Dalva, where his appearance looked like “the president had arrived, walked around everyone, shook hands and charmed everyone,” said one grieving Instagram commenter.
But he was fatally shot at around 11:40 pm on October 27 near the market. Local Mission reported. Two witnesses, speaking anonymously, told the news outlet that they had just left Dalva and saw KitKat sitting in front of the stopped driverless Waymo for about seven seconds. The cat then walked under the car, heading towards the sidewalk as the car drove away. The right rear wheel hit the KitKat, the website said.
“It was a terrible sight,” one witness told Mission Local.
Another person driving by saw the Waymo swerve and told Mission Local he thought the robotaxi was going faster than he expected a person to drive on a busy street. “Killed the neighbors, baby” comment This was reported on the city 311 website shortly after the collision.
A bartender at another nearby bar, Delirium, rushed KitKat to the veterinary hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to a bartender. Local Mission.
The cat was 9 years old, San Francisco Standard. reported.
“We are heartbroken”, Randa Market said on Instagram. “He brought warmth, smiles and comfort to everyone who walked through our doors… The store wouldn’t be the same without his little paws plopping around.”
KitKat was a favorite on 16th Street in San Francisco.
(Randa Market)
One mourner, responding to the post, called KitKat “the best city bodega cat you could ask for. His requests for a little pet meant a lot to some of us driving by, whether we missed our own pet or just wanted to share the love with a neighbor.”
Waymo said in a statement: “We reviewed this information and while our vehicle was stopped to pick up passengers, a nearby cat lunged under our vehicle as it drove away.
“We extend our deepest sympathies to the cat's owner and the community that knew and loved him and will be making a donation to a local animal rights organization in his honor,” the statement said. “The trust and safety of the communities we serve are our highest priority.”
Waymo has already dealt with pets. News outlets in 2023 reported in a Waymo car that struck and killed a small, off-leash dog in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood of San Francisco; V this caseThere was a test driver in the car, but the car was in autonomous driving mode.
In May, Waymo nearly ran over a runaway dog in Santa Monica. Eight-year-old Labrador Trevor escaped from his owner's yard and ran into the street in front of a Waymo car that suddenly braked, KCAL-TV reported. The radio station broadcast video footage of a possible collision. The dog was not injured and its owner praised the vehicle for its quick action.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles received reports of 884 collisions involving autonomous vehicles since 2014.
Waymo robotaxis in downtown Los Angeles in September.
(Gary Coronado/For The Times)
Waymo, owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, was extension his trail is all over California. The robotaxi, electric Jaguar I-Paces, does not use a human driver and can be hailed via an app in San Francisco and northern San Mateo County, including Daly City, San Bruno and Burlingame. They are also available in parts of Silicon Valley and surrounding areas, including Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto and Menlo Park.
In Los Angeles County, Waymos can be found in Central Los Angeles, South Los Angeles and the Westside, including Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Inglewood.
Self-driving cars are also available in Phoenix.
