A viral video of a "reckless" robot taxi in San Francisco has caused a storm of outrage

Internet users were outraged by the behaviour of an unmanned vehicle that they say blocked emergency services. Police say this is not true.

Here's What We Know

Videos have swirled online of an emergency response officer shouting at a drone from tech start-up Cruise to get out of the way. He says the robocar blocked the passage of an ambulance that was on its way to the scene of a mass shooting.

Fellow Mission friends. Please stay away from 24th/Folsom. Gunshots fired; reckless Cruise cars. pic.twitter.com/fICRtS6e05

- Paul Valdez ????????️‍???? (@paulvaldezsf) June 10, 2023

The taxi in the video, without a person inside, defiantly remains in place.

A witness who recorded the video noted the "reckless" behaviour of the drone. The thesis was quickly picked up by local media and politicians, accusing corporations of going "too far".

Details

The San Francisco Police Department called the situation "taken out of context." According to law enforcement officials, the robotaxi did not block emergency services or otherwise interfere with anyone after the shooting that injured nine people.

The fire service also said the vehicle "did not impede" firefighters or paramedics. The agency acknowledged the potential dangers of such incidents, but in that case rescuers used another lane to pass.

This version of events is consistent with an earlier statement by a Cruise spokesperson.

"Our car first slowed down, then proceeded to make a U-turn and stopped. Throughout this time, all vehicles, including emergency vehicles, were able to avoid the robot car," the company said.

Source: NBC