Waymo robotaxi blocks EMS responding to Austin mass shooting

• A Waymo official confirmed to Axios that the vehicle was en route to pick up a rider near the shooting on West Sixth Street, a popular downtown bar district.

Driving the news: A video circulating on social media shows a Waymo vehicle stopped and completely blocking a street as an ambulance attempts to pass.

• The autonomous vehicle slowly inches forward as a police cruiser pulls up behind it.
• An Austin police officer then gets out of the car to talk to the company through its speaker system. After at least a minute, the car drives away and into a parking garage, and the video ends.
• It's unclear from the video whether the ambulance ultimately reached the scene or took another route.

EMS and police officials did not immediately return requests for comment.

Between the lines: Waymo has faced complaints in Austin and other cities about its vehicles failing to properly yield to emergency responders.

• In recent months, Waymo's cars have come under scrutiny for illegally passing Austin school district buses.
• The company issued a voluntary software recall in December in response to a federal safety probe of its vehicles for illegally passing school buses.

Zoom in: Austin has become a major testing ground for autonomous vehicles.

• Riders in Austin can be matched with a Waymo taxi through the Uber app.

What's next: The company is accelerating its rollout of robotaxis in the U.S., adding Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Orlando last week.