_Incident · Injury_

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

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

- **Occurred:** 2026-01-23
- **Kind:** `injury`
- **Status (derived):** active
- **Company:** [Waymo](/companies/waymo.md) (id: `2128addc-20c8-4c31-aef5-be5ada97aede`)

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.

## Sources (2)

1. **ABC News** · https://abcnews.com/US/federal-officials-investigate-after-waymo-driving-vehicle-strikes/story?id=129670053 · 2026-01-29
2. **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

## 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.

### Who was involved in Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near elementary school in Santa Monica, prompting NHTSA and NTSB investigations?

The incident is recorded as involving Waymo on the DEPLOY registry. No specific robot model is linked to this incident in the registry.

### 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.


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