Cruise robotaxi appears to obstruct emergency crews after mass shooting

Cruise robotaxi, a self-driving car, appeared to obstruct the way of first responders trying to access an area where a mass shooting had taken place, reported The Guardian. Cruise, owned by General Motors is a self-driving taxi service. The incident took place in San Francisco's Mission District.

The first responders were moving towards a shooting incident that took place on 24th Street. The incident took place shortly after 9 pm. Nine people were hurt.

In a video posted on Twitter, an officer was reportedly seen approaching the stationary vehicle and saying that it was “blocking emergency medical and fire. I’ve got to get it out of here now".

Company denies charge

Cruise has denied the report and has said that the car did not block access to the scene 'at any point'.

“Our car initially stopped as it was approaching an active emergency scene, then proceeded to perform a U-turn and pull over,” said a spokesperson as quoted by The Guardian.

“Throughout this time, all vehicles, including emergency response vehicles, were able to proceed around our car.”

It was not reported for how long exactly did the car stop. But a spokesperson reportedly told San Francisco Chronicle that a lane beside the car was open. The company said that an employee moved the car within half an hour.

The incident has contributed to the ongoing debate over whether autonomous vehicles can adequately and accurately respond to unpredictable situations.

General Motors-owned Cruise and Alphabet-owned Waymo are currently seeking permission to operate round-the-clock robotaxis through San Francisco.

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Currently, Cruise has permission to charge fares between robotaxis operated between 10 pm and 6 am in some areas of San Francisco. In the case of Waymo, it can charge fares if a safety driver is in the vehicle.

San Francisco's public utilities commission will,reportedly, soon vote on a draft resolution that seeks to allow robotaxis throughout San Francisco.

The measure has its opponents who say that it still remains a question whether the robotaxis would operate reliably in unpredictable situations.

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