Witnesses, including a former Amazon software engineer and a street reporter, described the crowd's shock and participation in the vandalism. The crowd dispersed after a firework was lit under the car, and the vehicle was left in flames. The reporter noted a negative attitude towards self-driving cars in the city, citing a previous incident where Cruise robotaxis caused a traffic jam. The incident is the worst case of vandalism on an autonomous vehicle he has seen.
Key takeaways:
- A Waymo self-driving car was vandalized and set on fire by a crowd in San Francisco's Chinatown on the night of the Lunar New Year.
- No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the San Francisco Police Department.
- The incident was witnessed and recorded by Michael Vandi, a former Amazon software engineer, who described the crowd's reaction and the escalation of the situation.
- Franky Francisco, a street reporter, noted a negative attitude towards self-driving cars in the city, citing a previous incident where Cruise robotaxis caused a traffic jam.