A driverless taxi was set on fire by a disorderly crowd during Lunar New Year celebrations on the streets of San Francisco on Saturday night.
Vandals in the city’s Chinatown area reportedly surrounded a Waymo robotaxi, then smashed its windows and threw fireworks inside. san francisco standard.
The report said it was unclear why the self-driving car, which had no passengers on board, was illegally destroyed.
The vandalism was caught on camera, with fire and smoke pouring out of the car as a crowd packed Jackson Street near Grant Street.
After several people graffitied the vehicle, a man was seen breaking the window with a skateboard, and someone then threw a firework into the vehicle.
Waymo told the newspaper: “We are working closely with local safety authorities to address the situation.”
The company said the vehicle had “recently dropped off a passenger and was en route to its next destination at the time of the incident,” as revelers in the city were arriving to watch a hometown 49ers game. It added that services would resume on Sunday as people headed to bars and parties. Super Bowl.
The company said no injuries were reported.
Waymo operates driverless taxis in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin. Mission “To enable people and goods to move safely and easily to their destinations.”
