During Lunar New Year celebrations in San Francisco, a Waymo self-driving car was surrounded, vandalized, and set on fire by a crowd in the city’s Chinatown district. The incident took place while the vehicle was moving along a street, highlighting the challenges faced by autonomous vehicles in certain environments.
In San Francisco, a Waymo self-driving car was vandalized and set on fire by a crowd on Saturday, as reported by both the Alphabet-owned company and local authorities. This incident represents the most severe attack on autonomous vehicles in the U.S. to date.
During Lunar New Year celebrations in San Francisco’s Chinatown district, a white SUV belonging to Waymo was surrounded by a crowd. According to witness Michael Vandi, one person jumped onto the Waymo vehicle, shattering its windshield, while another person jumped onto the hood, eliciting applause from some in the crowd, as reported by Reuters.
Following the initial vandalism, the vehicle was later observed engulfed in flames after an individual threw a firework inside. The fire department confirmed that the blaze was initiated by the firework, and shared images of the burnt vehicle on social media. Fortunately, the car was not transporting any passengers at the time, and no injuries were reported as a result of the incident.
The San Francisco Police Department is currently investigating the cause of the fire. This incident underscores a growing hostility toward self-driving cars, particularly following a pedestrian-dragging accident involving a General Motors’ Cruise unit vehicle last year. Similar disruptions have occurred in the past, with groups in San Francisco and Phoenix, Arizona, causing similar disturbances.
Just last week, a driverless Waymo car collided with a cyclist in San Francisco, resulting in minor injuries. Waymo currently provides autonomous ride-hailing services in Phoenix and is in the process of expanding to Los Angeles and Austin, Texas.
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