Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company under Google's umbrella, has plunged into a major public relations debacle after its self-driving car struck and killed an internet-renowned tabby cat named 'KitKat'.

On the night of October 27th, around 11:30 PM, a Waymo self-driving taxi in San Francisco's Mission District collided with and fatally injured the 9-year-old tabby. The cat had been loitering in front of the vehicle and suddenly dashed under it when the car halted to pick up a passenger.

KitKat was no ordinary feline; it was a beloved 'internet celebrity cat' within the local community, boasting approximately 500,000 followers on social media platforms and affectionately dubbed the 'Cat Mayor'. The incident swiftly captured the nation's attention, with related hashtags on social media racking up over 200 million views.

Netizens expressed their grief by creating memorial emojis and videos, while San Francisco locals erected a makeshift shrine at the crash site. Subsequently, Waymo's self-driving technology faced a barrage of questions and criticisms, particularly concerning its failure to detect small, moving objects and the absence of a human-centric accountability system.

Waymo responded promptly, acknowledging the incident on the same day and issuing a comprehensive statement five days later. In the statement, the company extended its condolences, announced a donation to a local animal welfare organization, and pledged to enhance its sensors and AI algorithms to better identify small, moving objects.