A crowd destroyed a Waymo self-driving car on a street in San Francisco’s Chinatown on Saturday night, and a man set it on fire, the city’s fire department said. Said.
video In the incident, a man is seen stopping an empty car on the street and hitting her with a skateboard. Soon, a crowd forms around the car, kicking it and graffitiing the side. Eventually, one of the men ignited a firework inside the car, starting a fire that destroyed the vehicle.
It’s unclear whether the vandalism was a random act of violence, an organized protest, or pent-up anger over self-driving cars, which have long caused tensions with city residents.
No injuries were reported as a result of this fire. Mayor London Breed (D) warned that the fire could have been much worse.
“Chinatown is one of San Francisco’s most densely populated neighborhoods, and a fire could explode and spread between densely packed buildings, endangering lives, homes and businesses,” he said in a statement Monday. There is a gender,” he said.
Witness Michael Vandy told the Washington Post Passersby near the Waymo car were reportedly celebrating Lunar New Year with fireworks.
“That’s when it got wild,” he told the Post. “There were two groups of people. Those who encouraged it, and those who were just shocked and started filming. Nobody stood up — I mean, there was nothing they could do to stand up to dozens of people. It means there was nothing.”
Self-driving cars are common in San Francisco, where several startups are testing taxi-like products on residents. The flooding of cars has sparked anger among some San Francisco residents, as vehicles frequently block traffic, leaving them unable to take detours or respond to emergencies.
These vehicles have also raised safety concerns, especially after a cruise car hit and dragged a woman last year. The accident prompted the California Department of Transportation to temporarily suspend Cruise’s operations, and the company suspended all driverless vehicle operations in the United States a few days later.
A Waymo vehicle also struck a cyclist in San Francisco’s Potrero Hill neighborhood last week, causing minor injuries, The Verge reported. report. No passengers in the Waymo were injured, and the cyclist left the scene voluntarily.
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