Apollo Go Robotaxi Falls Into a Construction Pit

Physical agent · Robotaxi · Found first by third party

A Baidu Apollo Go robotaxi carrying one passenger drove past construction barriers into a pit about three meters deep in Yongchuan, Chongqing. The robotaxi's perception did not stop it at a marked work zone, residents rescued the passenger and publicized it, and no regulator action was reported.

Timeline of Apollo Go Robotaxi Falls Into a Construction Pit: Aug 6, Robotaxi falls into trench; Aug 8, Reuters verifies the location; Aug 13, Baidu gives a safety statement. Below, the reporting rules that applied: China SAMR recall rules, not triggered; CAC cybersecurity incident reporting measures, not applicable. FROM FALL TO STATEMENT AUG 6 Robotaxi falls into trench AUG 8 Reuters verifies the location AUG 13 Baidu gives a safety statement REPORTING RULES AND THIS INCIDENT China SAMR recall rules NO RECALL FOUND NOT TRIGGERED China CAC measures NOT A CYBER INCIDENT NOT APPLICABLE
Agent class
Physical
Developer
Baidu
Operator
Baidu Apollo Go, Chongqing
Found first by
Third party
Date
Aug 2025

What happened

The Robotaxi Drove Past Barriers Into a Trench

  • Depth: about three meters.
  • Passenger: one woman, unhurt, who climbed out by ladder with residents' help.
  • Scene: a shop owner said the trench had barriers and warning signs.
  • Discovery: social media video, then local press, then Reuters.

Timeline

Videos First, Then Reuters

Timeline
DateEventSource
August 6, 2025An Apollo Go car carrying a passenger falls into a construction trenchThe Standard
August 8, 2025Reuters verifies the location; Baidu does not commentReuters
August 13, 2025Baidu says safety is its top priorityThe Standard

Controls that failed

Work-Zone Perception Failed

Controls that failed
ControlCompanyWhat failed137AI page
Work-zone perceptionBaiduThe vehicle drove into a fenced, marked trenchBehavioral Envelopes
Passenger recoveryBaiduResidents, not the operator, got the passenger outHuman Oversight

Reporting

No Chinese Rule Action Was Reported

Reporting rules and this incident
RuleStatusWhy
China SAMR recall rulesNot triggeredNo recall or regulator action was found
CAC cybersecurity incident reporting measuresNot applicableThe measures cover network security incidents, not vehicle crashes

Every rule tracked is on Incident Reporting Rules and Registries.

Response

Baidu Gave a General Safety Statement

  • Regulators and courts: None found.
  • Remediation: Baidu said safety is its top priority and cited more than 100 million km of operation; no specific change was found.

Record

Incident Record

Incident ID
2025-08-APOLLO-GO-PIT
Sources
Reuters via Yahoo (August 2025); The Standard, Hong Kong (August 2025); Gulf News (August 2025)
Last verified
October 2026