Home / Disasters and Accidents / Driverless Car Stalls, Blocks Austin Attack Responders
Driverless Car Stalls, Blocks Austin Attack Responders
3 Mar
Summary
- A driverless car stalled, briefly obstructing an ambulance.
- The incident occurred during the Austin terror attack response.
- Officials stated it did not impact patient outcomes.
During the early morning hours of Sunday, a driverless Waymo vehicle momentarily obstructed an ambulance en route to victims of a terror attack in Austin, Texas. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. outside Buford's bar, where a shooting had just left three people dead and 14 others injured.
Footage showed the Waymo car appearing confused, moving forward and backward, as people shouted for it to clear the path for the ambulance. A police officer entered the vehicle, but the ambulance had to back up and find an alternative route to the scene. Despite this, Austin Travis EMS reported that paramedics reached the victims in under a minute, and the delay did not affect patient outcomes.
A Waymo spokesperson explained the car initiated a U-turn after detecting a road blockage. The company stated it is committed to learning from the situation and improving its operation, especially regarding interactions with emergency vehicles. The incident sparked public concern and debate online regarding the accountability of autonomous vehicles.
The gunman, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, opened fire from the street with a handgun and rifle. He was killed by police shortly after the attack, which officials believe may have been motivated by revenge for recent US attacks on Iran. Diagne, a US citizen who immigrated from Senegal, was reportedly wearing attire referencing Allah and the Iranian flag.
