Yesterday evening, a self-driving Waymo car caught on fire in San Francisco. The incident was recorded by bystanders and shared on social media.
An eyewitness account from Michael Vandi, provided to The Autopian, states that people were setting off fireworks on Jackson Street in San Francisco, with the Waymo car waiting for the crowd to disperse. However, the situation escalated when a person jumped on the hood of the car and broke the windshield. Others joined in by breaking the glass and graffitiing the car. The situation further escalated when fireworks were lit under the car, and eventually inside, causing it to catch fire.
Following the incident, the San Francisco Fire Department arrived at the scene to put out the fire in the Waymo car.
The San Francisco Fire Department has provided more details and images, confirming that windows were broken and a firework was lit inside the vehicle.
According to The Verge, a Waymo spokesperson stated that there were no passengers in the vehicle at the time of the incident. The Waymo One ride-hailing service is currently operational across all of San Francisco, as well as in Phoenix, and is conducting public testing in Los Angeles.
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