A beloved San Francisco neighborhood cat has died after being hit by a self-driving Waymo vehicle, and mourners across social media are posting about it.
KitKat, also known as the “mayor of 16th Street,” was struck by the Waymo around 11:30 p.m. Monday night, his owner, Mike Zeidan, told The San Francisco Standard. Zeidan also owns Randa’s Market, the convenience store where KitKat roamed. There, he became known and loved by the community, often frequenting the market’s Instagram page.
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On Monday night, the driverless robotaxi made a stop near the market, and apparently, it didn’t slow down or attempt to avoid the cat, according to an anonymous complaint made to 311, as reported by The Standard.
Zeidan told the Standard that KitKat was found underneath the Waymo. A store employee brought him to an animal hospital, and he was pronounced dead.
Now, the pinned post on the shop’s Instagram is a tribute to KitKat.
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“We’re heartbroken to share that our beloved store cat, KitKat, has passed away,” the post states. “He brought warmth, smiles, and comfort to everyone who walked through our doors. Thank you to all who loved him as much as we did. The store won’t be the same without his little paws padding around.”
More memorial posts have appeared on the platform and on TikTok, featuring photos and videos of a shrine to KitKat near the store.
“If you’re not a 16th street regular this can seem silly but this cat meant so much to this community. if you knew kitkat you’d understand [sic],” one TikTok by user @frijolefiddler posted with a video of the memorial full of flowers, photos of the cat, and KitKat bars. The video has over 500,000 likes at the time of this publication. Mourners have also posted saved videos of KitKat as tributes.
On Thursday, Waymo responded to SFGATE’s request for comment about the death, acknowledging it but not claiming responsibility. Waymo also stated it will donate to an animal rights group in KitKat’s honor:
“The trust and the safety of the communities we serve is our highest priority,” Waymo told SFGATE. “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. 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.”
