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KitKat, liquor store mascot and '16th St. ambassador,' killed, allegedly by Waymo. Neighbors blame autonomous vehicle.
TROUBLE
KitKat, liquor store mascot and ‘16th St. ambassador,’ killed, allegedly by Waymo
Neighbors blame autonomous vehicle for Mission District bodega cat’s death in only-in-San-Francisco tragedy
by OSCAR PALMA
October 29, 2025, 1:35 pm
An image of KitKat, who was allegedly killed by a Waymo this week, on Tuesday October. 28, 2025. Photo by Oscar Palma.
{snip}
KitKat, nine years old, was found dying in the street on Monday night or early Tuesday morning. Numerous friends and neighbors said the cat was hit and killed by a Waymo autonomous vehicle.
Jeff Klein told Mission Local via email that he was driving eastbound on 16th Street with a friend on Monday at approximately 11:40 p.m. when he witnessed a Waymo swerved in front of them.
“Some folks on the sidewalk started yelling and grabbed the cat right out from under where the Waymo swerved from,” Klein wrote, who managed to snap a photo of the car before it drove away.
{snip}
KitKat, liquor store mascot and ‘16th St. ambassador,’ killed, allegedly by Waymo
Neighbors blame autonomous vehicle for Mission District bodega cat’s death in only-in-San-Francisco tragedy
by OSCAR PALMA
October 29, 2025, 1:35 pm
An image of KitKat, who was allegedly killed by a Waymo this week, on Tuesday October. 28, 2025. Photo by Oscar Palma.
{snip}
KitKat, nine years old, was found dying in the street on Monday night or early Tuesday morning. Numerous friends and neighbors said the cat was hit and killed by a Waymo autonomous vehicle.
Jeff Klein told Mission Local via email that he was driving eastbound on 16th Street with a friend on Monday at approximately 11:40 p.m. when he witnessed a Waymo swerved in front of them.
“Some folks on the sidewalk started yelling and grabbed the cat right out from under where the Waymo swerved from,” Klein wrote, who managed to snap a photo of the car before it drove away.
{snip}
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
TROUBLE
Waymo confirms its car killed KitKat, Mission bodega darling
by OSCAR PALMA
October 31, 2025, 11:41 am
An image of KitKat, who was allegedly killed by a Waymo this week, on Tuesday October. 28, 2025. Photo by Oscar Palma.
Waymo confirmed on Thursday night that one of its autonomous vehicles killed KitKat, a beloved liquor store cat in the Mission District known by many as “the 16th Street ambassador.”
“We reviewed this, and while our vehicle was stopped to pick up passengers, a nearby cat darted under our vehicle as it was pulling away,” read a statement by Waymo. “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.”
Waymo did not reply to a request to review the video, and did not say how much it would donate or what group would receive the gift.
{snip}
Waymo confirms its car killed KitKat, Mission bodega darling
by OSCAR PALMA
October 31, 2025, 11:41 am
An image of KitKat, who was allegedly killed by a Waymo this week, on Tuesday October. 28, 2025. Photo by Oscar Palma.
Waymo confirmed on Thursday night that one of its autonomous vehicles killed KitKat, a beloved liquor store cat in the Mission District known by many as “the 16th Street ambassador.”
“We reviewed this, and while our vehicle was stopped to pick up passengers, a nearby cat darted under our vehicle as it was pulling away,” read a statement by Waymo. “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.”
Waymo did not reply to a request to review the video, and did not say how much it would donate or what group would receive the gift.
{snip}