US: Self-driving car vandalised, set on fire by crowd in San Francisco

A self-driving taxi in San Francisco was vandalised and set on fire over the weekend. According to a report by the news agency AFP, the vehicle was from tech firm Waymo, owned by Google's parent company Alphabet. It was targeted on Saturday by a group of people apparently carrying fireworks from ongoing Lunar New Year celebrations. The report said that no one was inside the taxi and there were no reported injuries from the incident.

"A crowd surrounded and vandalised the vehicle, breaking the window and throwing a firework inside, which set the vehicle on fire," a spokesperson from Waymo told AFP.

"The vehicle was not transporting any riders. We are working closely with local safety officials to respond to the situation," the spokesperson added.

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Images on social media showed the car stopped in a crowded street in San Francisco's Chinatown, where the Lunar New Year celebrations were going on. Several people dressed in black are shown breaking the windows.

A video posted on social media showed the taxi with its windows broken and fireworks exploding inside. After the fire was extinguished, the car appeared largely destroyed.

This incident comes days after a cyclist in San Francisco's Potrero Hill neighbourhood was hit by a Waymo driverless vehicle. Policeofficers rushed to the scene and found the cyclist with non-life-threatening injuries.

According to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), the collision was under investigation. In a statement, Waymo said that its vehicle fully stopped at a four-way intersection before proceeding into the intersection as a large truck was driving through in the opposite direction.

"The cyclist was occluded by the truck and quickly followed behind it, crossing into the Waymo vehicle's path. When they became fully visible, our vehicle applied heavy braking but was not able to avoid the collision," the statement said.

(With inputs from agencies)