Waymo blocks traffic in Austin during a mass shooting.
Courtesy of Matthew Turnage/@turnage_realestateAmid the chaos of a deadly mass shooting that rocked Austin in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 1, a self-driving vehicle company is facing scrutiny after one of its cars got caught up in the aftermath. Waymo, the self-driving cars that recently launched in San Antonio, have made their presence known in Austin over the past few years, notoriously causing traffic jams whenever the robots get confused. Such was the case on Sunday in the wake of the traumatic mass shooting.
The shooting occurred around 2 a.m. Sunday at Buford's Backyard Beer Garden on West Sixth Street in Austin. The incident left three dead, including the gunman, and dozens more injured. But as first responders rushed to the scene and patrons fled to safety, a Waymo went viral after blocking an Austin-Travis County EMS ambulance as the self-driving car attempted a U-turn and proceeded to get stuck in Austin traffic.
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The moment was caught on video by Austin realtor Matthew Turnage, whose video has since been viewed over 250,000 times. In the video the Waymo is shown in the middle of an Austin street, apparently unable to complete the U-turn as the ATC EMS ambulance inches closer. The Waymo slightly moves up but freezes at the most inopportune time.
A person can be heard shouting "This is why we shouldn't have self-driving cars" as another urges Waymo to "go!" It takes so long that the EMS reverses down the street to find another route. Finally after over a minute an Austin Police Department officer gets in the Waymo's driver seat and is able to drive it out of the road.
Waymo officials said in a statement that "we are deeply saddened by this tragedy that happened in our community last night." MySA has reached out to Waymo for more info on whether the company has measures in place to help its vehicles be more alert in the presence of first responders or emergency vehicles. All Waymos can be driven like regular cars, as outlined by Waymo's FAQ section on autonomous specialists.
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This is far from the first time Waymo has faced criticism in the Austin area. Last year saw a group of friends trapped in a Waymo after it stopped in the middle of a highway and refused to unlock the doors. Austin ISD has filed complaints about Waymo's driving past stopped school buses. Meanwhile in December a video went viral after a Waymo driving the wrong way in Austin.
The deadly shooting at Buford's remains under investigation by the FBI and APD. The identities of the people killed and the dozens injured have yet to be revealed.