How A Driverless Car Ran Afoul Of A Bay Area DUI Operation

SAN BRUNO, CA — Police often search for signs of drivers operating vehicles under the influence during scheduled checkpoints. But what happens if the driver doesn't exist?

Officers with the San Bruno Police Department were caught off guard during a recent DUI checkpoint when they thought they had pulled over someone making an illegal U-turn, according to authorities.

Instead, they found themselves pulling over a car with no one inside, according to the department.

"That's right... no driver, no hands, no clue," the department said in a post on social media Saturday. "It was a first for both officers."

Because it was a driverless Waymo car, the officers weren't able to issue a citation, police said, adding that their citation books don't have an option for "robot."

They did, however, contact the company to make it aware of the issue in hopes of having it fixed, the department said.

"Hopefully the reprogramming will keep it from making any more illegal moves," police said. "