Waymo autonomous vehicle struck child near elementary school in Santa Monica
A Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica on January 23, 2026, causing minor injuries. The child ran into the vehicle's path from behind a parked SUV during school drop-off hours. NHTSA and NTSB opened investigations into whether the vehicle exercised appropriate caution near the school.
What happened
On January 23, 2026, a Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California during normal school drop-off hours. The child ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV towards the school and was struck by the vehicle. Other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles were in the vicinity.
Reported impact
The child sustained minor injuries. According to Waymo, the child stood up immediately and walked to the pavement after being struck. The vehicle was operating on Waymo's 5th Generation Automated Driving System with no human safety supervisor in the vehicle.
Index analysis
The vehicle detected the child as they emerged from behind the stopped vehicle and braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made. Waymo stated that a fully attentive human driver in the same situation would have made contact at approximately 14 mph.
Governance controls
NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate whether the Waymo AV exercised appropriate caution given its proximity to the elementary school during drop-off hours and the presence of young pedestrians. NHTSA plans to examine the vehicle's intended behavior in school zones during pick-up and drop-off times, including adherence to posted speed limits and post-impact response. The NTSB also opened an investigation into the incident.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.