Las Vegas automated shuttle gets into accident within first hour

During its first hour in service, an automated shuttle in Las Vegas got into an accident, perhaps fittingly the result of a flesh-and-blood human truck driver slowly driving into the unsuspecting robocar, according to a AAA PR representative on Twitter. Nobody was hurt and the truck driver was cited.

Photos on Twitter earlier in the hour show a line of people eagerly waiting to be among the first to ride the driverless shuttle, which operates on a fixed three-stop route on Fremont and Carson Streets between Las Vegas Boulevard and 8th Street. The shuttle itself has eight seatbelts and all rides are free. Its sponsor, AAA, will also donate $1 to the Las Vegas Victims Fund for every rider.

Although photos didn't show any major damage from the fender bender, the shuttle was removed from service for the day. There's no information yet as to when it'll return to service for its planned 12-month tryout.