A viral video circulating online reportedly shows a Waymo self-driving car blocking an ambulance as emergency responders reacted to a fatal shooting in downtown Austin early Sunday morning.
According to KXAN, witness Matthew Turnage said he ordered an Uber around 2:00 a.m. and was assigned a Waymo vehicle. Upon reaching the pickup point at the intersection of West 6th Street and Nueces Street—just minutes away from the shooting scene at Buford's Backyard Beer Garden—the autonomous vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and remained stationary for a short period.
The video shows the Waymo vehicle stopped across the roadway while an ambulance waits behind it. The self-driving car eventually nudged forward and turned into what appeared to be a parking lot entrance, but the ambulance was forced to reverse to find an alternative route.
Austin officials stated that medical personnel arrived on the scene just 57 seconds after the first call at 1:59 a.m. The shooting left two people dead and 14 others injured.
The suspect, identified as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, was shot and killed by police at the scene. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into a potential terrorist motive after discovering several significant items on the suspect's person and inside his vehicle.
Waymo launched its self-driving service in Austin in January, allowing Uber users within a roughly 133-square-mile area to access driverless vehicles. The technology has been a subject of debate in several cities due to previous incidents.
Officials have not yet officially confirmed the extent to which the autonomous vehicle affected the emergency response. The investigation is ongoing.
