Avride autonomous vehicle struck a mother duck in Austin, residents demand safety fixes A well known local duck died after an Avride robotaxi ran over it near Mueller Lake, sparking heated neighborhood debate and scrutiny of self driving safety. As highlighted by Techcrunch In Austin, in the Mueller Lake area, there was an incident with an autonomous vehicle: a mother duck was killed beneath it, prompting residents to talk about the safety of self-driving cars and their presence in the city. Although similar incidents are not common on roads, this story drew attention to cutting-edge technologies. Local media picked it up after one Mueller District resident in a Facebook community reported that an Avride autonomous vehicle with a guard on board ran over a duck and did not stop. «He didn’t slow down or stop for a moment – he just drove over her», reads the post relayed to KXAN. – KXAN This duck was well known to local residents: she had a nest in a pot beside a local Italian cafe, which amplified outrage and mistrust of autonomous driving technology. According to Axios, some residents are keeping ducklings in an incubator while the investigation continues. An Avride representative confirmed to TechCrunch that during the incident the vehicle was in autonomous mode. The company is not suspending testing on public roads entirely, but has adjusted the operating area, excluding certain streets around the lake in the Mueller district where the duck collision occurred, according to spokesperson Yulia Shveiko. The resident also stated that the car did not stop at a stop. Avride told TechCrunch that they found no such evidence – the vehicle made full and proper stops at all relevant stops. Yulia Shveiko noted that the team reviewed the vehicle’s operational data and its behavior, including replaying the scene