Cover Image for Cruise fined $500,000 for submitting a false report following last year's pedestrian accident.
Sat Nov 16 2024

Cruise fined $500,000 for submitting a false report following last year's pedestrian accident.

The deferred prosecution agreement will last for three years.

GM's Cruise has agreed to pay a $500,000 criminal fine as part of a deferred prosecution agreement after admitting that it submitted false reports to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This action was intended to obstruct or influence the investigation of a 2023 accident in which a Cruise autonomous vehicle struck and dragged a pedestrian.

Last September, the NHTSA had already fined Cruise $1.5 million for submitting incomplete reports that concealed the fact that the robotaxi dragged the pedestrian 20 feet after he was struck by another vehicle and pushed into its path. Information about the dragging was not included in the verbal summary provided by Cruise employees the following day, nor in the accident video reviewed by investigators, which also omits that crucial part. Additionally, a written “1-day” report submitted by Cruise was similarly deficient, making the information presented inaccurate and non-compliant with NHTSA requirements.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California explained how this case is being managed. Under the agreement, Cruise must pay the fine, cooperate with government investigations, implement a Safety Compliance Program, and submit annual reports to the U.S. Attorney's Office on the implementation and remediation of corrective actions.

If Cruise fails to meet its obligations during the three-year term of the agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office reserves the right to proceed with prosecution of the charged offense. Last month, GM reported that its autonomous division suffered losses of $435 million in the third quarter of 2024, while its fleet remained out of service.