
General Motors (GM) is facing a new challenge in the form of a U.S. Justice Department investigation into a serious collision involving one of its self-driving cars. The incident occurred in October last year when a robotaxi operated by GM's subsidiary, Cruise, struck a pedestrian in San Francisco. The victim was dragged about 20 feet (6 meters) and suffered critical injuries.
As a result of the incident, regulators suspended Cruise's license to operate its driverless fleet in California. This setback, coupled with allegations of a coverup by Cruise, led to a major shakeup in the company's leadership team. In addition, GM had to lay off around 25% of the workforce in its self-driving division, scaling back its ambitious plans in autonomous vehicle technology.