The passing of a duck in the Mueller Lake area of Austin, Texas, has led neighbors to voice their worries regarding the presence of autonomous vehicles there.

Although it is common for humans to unintentionally harm animals with their vehicles, this incident has cast a shadow over the emerging technology. Local news began covering the duck incident after a community member shared in a Mueller neighborhood Facebook group that an Avride autonomous vehicle (with a human safety operator at the controls) struck and killed a duck without stopping. “It didn’t pause or hesitate whatsoever, just plowed through,” the post, highlighted by KXAN, states.

The residents’ bond with this particular duck, which was nesting in a flower pot outside a nearby Italian restaurant, has fueled the outrage and distrust toward autonomous vehicle technology. For those worried about the fate of the duck’s eggs, local residents have placed them in an incubator, as reported by Axios’ Austin.

An Avride representative confirmed to TechCrunch that the vehicle was operating in autonomous mode during the incident. Avride has not fully halted its public road testing. Nevertheless, the company has modified its operational area by omitting specific streets in the vicinity of the lake where the duck incident took place, according to spokesperson Yulia Shveyko.

The resident further alleged in their post that the vehicle did not stop at a stop sign. Avride informed TechCrunch that it found no evidence supporting this assertion. The vehicle made full and appropriate stops at all relevant stop signs.

Shveyko mentioned that the team has analyzed the vehicle’s data and behavior, including multiple simulations of the incident. Avride is currently assessing potential enhancements to the technology to help prevent similar occurrences in the future, she stated. Importantly, this involves conducting a series of controlled experiments in simulations to ensure that any modifications do not adversely affect the vehicle’s safety performance in other situations.

Avride is not the sole company testing or deploying autonomous vehicles commercially in the area. Zoox has also been conducting tests in the city. Additionally, Tesla and Waymo, in collaboration with Uber, provide a commercial robotaxi service in certain parts of Austin.