A driving technology company voluntarily recalled its self-driving car software after two of its robotaxis hit a towed vehicle in Phoenix at the end of last year.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, recalled the software following an incident on Dec. 11, 2023, in which a self-driving vehicle hit a backward-facing pickup truck “being improperly towed,” according to a blog post published Tuesday. After the initial hit, neither vehicle stopped moving, and a second Waymo car hit the towed truck a few minutes later.

“Neither Waymo vehicle was transporting riders at the time, and this unusual scenario resulted in no injuries and minor vehicle damage,” Waymo chief safety officer Mauricio Peña wrote.

Peña said Waymo informed the Phoenix Police Department, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the incident.

“We determined that due to the persistent orientation mismatch of the towed pickup truck and tow truck combination, the Waymo AV incorrectly predicted the future motion of the towed vehicle,” Peña said.

The company began updating the software on its fleet in late December and into 2024. After consulting with the NHTSA, Waymo “concluded that it would be appropriate to submit a voluntary recall report of the software present on our fleet at the time of the two collisions.”

There have been several crashes involving a Waymo autonomous vehicle and another car, many based in San Francisco. Last year, San Francisco approved an expansion of Waymo and Cruise — autonomous vehicle companies operating over 500 robotaxis in the city. Amid growing safety concerns, Cruise, the self-driving arm of General Motors, halted operations in October.

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In January, Waymo started expanding operations in Arizona, testing autonomous rides on freeways, which were only available to company employees initially.

“As we serve more riders in more cities, we will continue our safety first approach, working to earn trust and foster transparent communication with our riders, community members, regulators, and policymakers,” Peña said.