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Incident · Injury

Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near elementary school in Santa Monica, prompting NHTSA and NTSB investigations

On January 23, 2026, a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California, during school drop-off hours, causing minor injuries. The child ran into the street from behind a double-parked SUV. Waymo says the vehicle braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact. NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation examining the vehicle's behavior in school zones; NTSB also opened an investigation.

Occurred 2026-01-23 · Waymo Driver (6th gen) at Sacramento, California, USA · Waymo · Sacramento, California, USA · Robotaxis · Investigated by NHTSA

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Incident records on DEPLOY are compiled from public sources (regulatory filings, news reports, and operator disclosures) and reflect what has been reported and tracked to date. They are not legal findings, determinations of fault, or safety ratings, and may be updated as new information is verified. See the sources below for the underlying references.
Track Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near elementary school in Santa Monica, prompting NHTSA and NTSB investigations

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Sources (2)

  1. Reuters · https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-opens-probe-after-waymo-self-driving-vehicle-strikes-child-near-school-2026-01-29/ · 2026-01-29
  2. ABC News · https://abcnews.com/US/federal-officials-investigate-after-waymo-driving-vehicle-strikes/story?id=129670053 · 2026-01-29

Status history

  • Active · 2026-07-14 · agent:recon

Common questions

What happened in Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near elementary school in Santa Monica, prompting NHTSA and NTSB investigations?
On January 23, 2026, a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California, during school drop-off hours, causing minor injuries. The child ran into the street from behind a double-parked SUV. Waymo says the vehicle braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact. NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation examining the vehicle's behavior in school zones; NTSB also opened an investigation.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on January 23, 2026 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
What robot was involved in Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near elementary school in Santa Monica, prompting NHTSA and NTSB investigations?
Waymo Driver (6th gen) by Waymo is the recorded robot involved in this incident at Sacramento, California, USA.
Has anyone responded to Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near elementary school in Santa Monica, prompting NHTSA and NTSB investigations?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near elementary school in Santa Monica, prompting NHTSA and NTSB investigations?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Verified · 2 sources (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-14

Verification posture

Verified

Medium confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-07-14

Sources by quality tier

1
secondary-established-publication
Established publication
1
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near elementary school in Santa Monica, prompting NHTSA and NTSB investigations.

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Canonical ID 083cc71a-b93d-43cf-a7fb-65b55f0fc167