The public’s trust issues with autonomous cars have not yet been fully resolved, but it’s unlikely that many people harbor such intense dislike for them that they would resort to smashing them with a hammer. However, an unusual incident occurred in San Francisco last Sunday when an unidentified person was caught on camera attempting to destroy a Cruise robotaxi.
The masked individual, dressed in black attire, can be observed in surveillance footage repeatedly striking the stationary vehicle with a hammer or small pickaxe. At the time of the attack, the robotaxi was reportedly unoccupied, and it displayed remarkable resilience to the forceful blows.
The attacker’s focus seemed to be on damaging the roof-mounted ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) sensors and shattering the windshield, presumably in an attempt to render the vehicle immobile. In addition to the numerous dents and the cracked glass, the fully autonomous Cruise-branded Chevy Bolt also had spray paint applied to its bonnet.
More: San Francisco Robotaxis Are Being Immobilized By Protest Group Armed With Traffic Cones
Someone seen destroying a RoboTaxi in San Francisco this weekend.
— (((BrokeAssStuart))) (@BrokeAssStuart) September 11, 2023
What do you think, hero or villain?
🎥: @caterywta on IG pic.twitter.com/KTdwGKrgWF
The bizarre incident reportedly took place at around 11 p.m. on Sunday night. A San Francisco resident named Catery Villela captured the violent act against the robotaxi from their dining room window. The resulting video was then shared by local journalist Stuart Schuffman on his X (ex-Twitter) account, where it has generated over 1.1 million views at the time of writing.
According to San Fransisco Standard, the police promptly responded to the incident on Buchanan Street, situated between Haight and Rose Streets. They discovered the damaged vehicle, but by that time, the suspect had already fled the scene. Law enforcement officers are currently conducting an investigation to identify the individual involved.
CBS News also reported that a witness in the vicinity heard a scream before observing the suspect standing in front of the autonomous vehicle and commencing the act of vandalism.
Following the attack, a Cruise spokesperson issued the following statement: “We are deeply troubled by the behavior displayed by the individual. While there was no one in the vehicle at the time, our priority is to operate safely under all conditions. We have reported the incident to law enforcement and hope they are able to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.”
