The assault was centered on the autonomous Cruise’s roof-mounted sensors, which had been hit with what seems like a hammer
September 12, 2023 at 19:26
The general public’s belief points with autonomous automobiles haven’t but been totally resolved, however it’s unlikely that many individuals harbor such intense dislike for them that they might resort to smashing them with a hammer. Nevertheless, an uncommon incident occurred in San Francisco final Sunday when an unidentified individual was caught on digicam trying to destroy a Cruise robotaxi.
The masked particular person, wearing black apparel, might be noticed in surveillance footage repeatedly placing the stationary automobile with a hammer or small pickaxe. On the time of the assault, the robotaxi was reportedly unoccupied, and it displayed exceptional resilience to the forceful blows.
The attacker’s focus gave the impression to be on damaging the roof-mounted ADAS (Superior Driver Help Programs) sensors and shattering the windshield, presumably in an try and render the automobile motionless. Along with the quite a few dents and the cracked glass, the totally autonomous Cruise-branded Chevy Bolt additionally had spray paint utilized to its bonnet.
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Extra: San Francisco Robotaxis Are Being Immobilized By Protest Group Armed With Site visitors Cones
Somebody seen destroying a RoboTaxi in San Francisco this weekend.
What do you assume, hero or villain?
🎥: @caterywta on IG pic.twitter.com/KTdwGKrgWF
— (((BrokeAssStuart))) (@BrokeAssStuart) September 11, 2023
The weird incident reportedly happened at round 11 p.m. on Sunday night time. A San Francisco resident named Catery Villela captured the violent act towards the robotaxi from their eating room window. The ensuing video was then shared by native journalist Stuart Schuffman on his X (ex-Twitter) account, the place it has generated over 1.1 million views on the time of writing.
In accordance with San Fransisco Normal, the police promptly responded to the incident on Buchanan Road, located between Haight and Rose Streets. They found the broken automobile, however by that point, the suspect had already fled the scene. Regulation enforcement officers are presently conducting an investigation to establish the person concerned.
CBS Information additionally reported {that a} witness within the neighborhood heard a scream earlier than observing the suspect standing in entrance of the autonomous automobile and commencing the act of vandalism.
Following the assault, a Cruise spokesperson issued the next assertion: “We’re deeply troubled by the habits displayed by the person. Whereas there was nobody within the automobile on the time, our precedence is to function safely beneath all situations. We have now reported the incident to legislation enforcement and hope they can establish these accountable and maintain them accountable.”
