Waymo Robotaxi Blocks Ambulance at Austin Mass Shooting Scene
A self-driving Waymo vehicle stopped mid-road and prevented an ambulance from reaching a mass shooting site in Austin.
A Waymo autonomous taxi blocked an ambulance responding to a mass shooting in Austin after stopping in the middle of a road near the scene. Bystander video captured the incident, showing the driverless vehicle sitting idle while emergency responders tried to get through.
The shooting occurred on a Sunday morning. Waymo confirmed the robotaxi was en route to pick up a rider when it halted and obstructed the emergency vehicle's path.
It's another ugly look for autonomous vehicles in real-world emergencies. Self-driving cars have repeatedly struggled with edge cases involving first responders — and a mass casualty event is about the worst possible scenario for a robot to fumble.
Waymo acknowledged the incident but hasn't detailed what caused the vehicle to stop or what steps it's taking to prevent similar situations.