Elon Musk said that “many pets will be saved” by autonomous vehicles just a day after news broke of a beloved bodega cat being struck down by a driverless Waymo vehicle in San Francisco.
The furry feline was known as KitKat and was the pet mascot of Randa’s Market on 16th Street before it was mowed down by the autonomous car on Monday night.
A sidewalk memorial has sprung up near the crash site, with well-wishers leaving flowers and candy underneath a picture of the much-loved cat.
The owner of Randa’s Market told KTVU that he rushed the grey tabby to a veterinarian but sadly KitKat succumbed to its injuries.
Waymo told later told KTVU that it had reviewed the incident and confirmed that one of the company’s vehicles hit the cat. The vehicle was carrying passengers at the time.
“We send our deepest sympathies to the cat’s owner and the community who knew and loved him, and we will be making a donation to a local animal rights organization in his honor,” a statement from Waymo, seen by KTVU, read.
Elon Musk weighed in on the incident when he replied to a post that claimed that 5.4 million cats are hit by cars every year in the U.S.
The original poster claimed that “autonomy will dramatically reduce that number.
Musk, who has long claimed that the day driverless vehicles become available en masse is in the near future, wrote on X that “many pets will be saved by autonomy.”
The tech entrepreneur claimed in July that “ half the population of the U.S.” would have access to driverless vehicles by the end of the year.
His company, Tesla, has not yet developed totally autonomous vehicles but has created a mode in which the car can take over some functions independently, with supervision by a driver.
Meanwhile, Mike Zeidan, Kitkat’s owner, says that he is mourning his “one-of-a-kind cat.”
“Honestly, man, it’s difficult. He was a one-of-a-kind cat. He brought joy to so many people,” Zeidan told The San Francisco Standard. “People loved him.”
He had taken the cat in six years ago, when KitKat was just three years old. His beloved pet lived in the store until his death, since Zeidan had a neighbor who was allergic to cats.
“He was a special guest,” Zeidan said. “Made for a store like this. Friendly with everybody, and not afraid of dogs or anything.”
An anonymous complaint, seen by the Chronicle, was filed on the city’s 311 system, which claimed that “Waymo’s should not be on the street if they can’t spot small animals in the dark.”
Jeff Klein told the publication that he witnessed the collision while driving on Monday night.
“My friend and I were driving by the Roxie when a Waymo swerved in front of us last night at approx 11:40,” he said. “Some folks on the sidewalk started yelling and grabbed the cat right out from under where the Waymo swerved from.”
Margarita Lara, who lives near the memorial to KitKat, told the Chronicle that the shrine will “grow and grow” as the Day of the Dead approaches.
“Sixteenth Street will not be the same,” she said. “As I walked from near Mission Street to here with the candles and the flowers this morning, everyone knew who it was for.
“Everyone bowed their heads with KitKat.”
The Independent has contacted Waymo for comment.
