Video: Hubeidrifters

An autonomous vehicle operated by Hello, formerly Hellobike, was involved in a serious accident in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, on 6/12. The incident left two pedestrians hospitalized in intensive care.

According to witness accounts and a video shared on Weibo, the autonomous vehicle struck the two pedestrians directly in a crosswalk. One victim became trapped under the vehicle, while the other lay injured behind it. The person pinned under the vehicle wore a helmet, with blood visible on their face, as passersby attempted to lift the vehicle to free them.

One of the two victims lying behind the vehicle. Photo: Weibo

Emergency services responded to the scene, and both victims, one male and one female, were transported to a hospital. They are currently receiving treatment in the intensive care unit. The hospital has not released specific details regarding the extent of their injuries.

When contacted by Dafeng News reporters, a Hello customer service representative confirmed receiving information about the incident. The company stated it is actively cooperating with relevant departments in the ongoing investigation. Local traffic police also confirmed receiving a report of the accident.

Hello's autonomous vehicles began road trials in August this year, following regulatory approval in Zhuzhou. Currently, 20-30 vehicles operate on licensed routes across the city.

A victim trapped under the vehicle was rescued by citizens and police working together to lift the vehicle. Photo from video.

While Hello recently unveiled its L4 HR1 autonomous vehicle model, based on the Dongfeng Venucia VX6 platform, in September, the vehicle involved in today's accident appears to be an Apollo RT6 purchased from Baidu. The RT6, jointly developed by Baidu and JMC, represents Baidu Apollo's 6th generation autonomous vehicle, with a production cost under 30,000 USD.

Hello, an Alibaba-affiliated company known for its bike-sharing platform, has expanded into ride-hailing services and harbors ambitious plans for autonomous vehicles. Just days before the accident, the company announced its first L4 autonomous vehicle model is slated for mass production by June 2026, with small batches delivered in March of the same year. Yu Qiankun, the company's co-founder, previously expressed hopes to deploy over 50,000 robotaxis by 2027.

Hello's Apollo RT6 robotaxi. Photo: Hello

Apollo Go is a leading global robotaxi company, having expanded its robotaxi operations to 22 cities worldwide.

Hello's robotaxis are currently undergoing trials in two smaller cities: Zhuzhou and Liyang. Following this accident, the service in Zhuzhou has been temporarily suspended.

My Anh (according to CarNewsChina)