Fireworks thrown through the broken windows of a Waymo robotaxi broke out into flames Saturday night amidst Lunar New Year celebrations in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
The incident occurred on Jackson Street, in the heart of the city’s Chinatown, at 9 p.m. Crowds filled the streets with excitement from the Lunar New Year the San Francisco Forty Niners participation in the Super Bowl. However, The San Francisco Standard reported that the vehicle was empty at the time of the vandalism.
Forbes reported that the cause of the scene is still unknown.
Passers-by posted videos of the incident on social media showing the crowd vandalizing the self-driving Jaguar. They graffitied the car and smashed the windows with a skateboard. As a result, someone threw fireworks into the car.
Shortly after, the Jaguar was engulfed in flames.
🎥🔥🧨Raw HD footage: @Waymo vehicle torched in Chinatown –> Holy moly we just got done clipping together this HD footage from tonight for y'all… hope you enjoy (warning: there's a horn for the first few seconds and you're gonna get wet!) #SplashZone https://t.co/5VeWvgPEhe pic.twitter.com/N4ZwIeGjAg
— FriscoLive415 (@friscolive415) February 11, 2024
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Many of the people in the videos are unmasked and identifiable. Forbes noted that the company could press charges for the destruction of their vehicle if they wish.
The San Francisco Fire Department responded and put out the flames at around 9:30 p.m.
In a statement, Waymo said “We are working closely with local safety officials to respond to the situation.”
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