Eyewitness Describes 'Wild' Experience As Crowd Vandalizes And Sets Google's Waymo Self-Driving Car On Fire In San Francisco: 'No One Stood Up'

A crowd in San Francisco vandalized and set fire to a Waymo self-driving car on Saturday. This incident marks the most severe attack on autonomous vehicles in the U.S. to date.

What Happened: The incident occurred in San Francisco’s Chinatown district on Saturday night, reported Reuters. The crowd surrounded the moving white SUV, with one individual breaking the windshield and others joining in to vandalize the vehicle. The situation escalated when someone threw a firework inside, causing the car to burst into flames.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc GOOG GOOGL, confirmed the incident and stated that the vehicle was not carrying any passengers at the time. The San Francisco Police Department is currently investigating the cause of the fire.

Michael Vandi, a witness who shared videos of the incident, told the publication that people were celebrating China’s Lunar New Year with fireworks. He described how one person jumped onto the Waymo vehicle’s hood, followed by another 30 seconds later, while some bystanders applauded.

“That was when it went WILD,” he wrote, describing people with skateboards breaking the glass and others graffitiing the car. “There were 2 groups of people. Folks who encourage it – and others who were just shocked & started filming. No one stood up – I mean there wasn't anything you could do to stand up to dozens of people.”

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This is not the first time self-driving cars have been targeted. Previous incidents in San Francisco and Phoenix, Arizona, have seen groups disrupting the operations of autonomous vehicles. The severity of this latest attack, however, may indicate a growing public hostility, possibly stemming from a pedestrian-dragging accident involving a vehicle operated by General Motors Co Cruise unit.

The previous week, a driverless Waymo vehicle collided with a cyclist in San Francisco, resulting in minor injuries. The state’s auto regulator is currently reviewing the incident.

Why It Matters: The incident comes at a time when the autonomous vehicle industry is facing increased scrutiny. Waymo, in particular, has been expanding its operations, with plans to launch a complete range of robotaxis in Los Angeles, despite regulatory challenges. The company has also been offering round-the-clock autonomous ride services in San Francisco since October.

However, the industry has faced challenges, including criticism for its post-collision responses, as highlighted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The recent incident adds to the growing concerns around the safety and public acceptance of autonomous vehicles.

Meanwhile, General Motors’ autonomous vehicle division, Cruise, is also under scrutiny following a severe accident involving one of its autonomous taxis. A California judge recently urged Cruise to increase its settlement offer in the case.

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