CRIME & LAW

Santa Monica Waymo Vehicle Hits Child Near School

PUBLISHED Jan 29, 2026, 11:24 AM ET

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SANTA MONICA, California — Federal and company records show that on Jan. 23 a Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near Grant Elementary School during morning drop-off. The child suffered minor injuries and was evaluated by emergency responders. Waymo reported vehicle braked from about 17 mph to under 6 mph after the child emerged from behind a double-parked SUV. The company said it notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which opened an Office of Defects Investigation inquiry to examine vehicle behavior and post-impact response. The vehicle operated Waymo's fifth-generation automated driving system. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.

By Noormahi M. | JQJO News

Timeline of Events

Jan. 23: Child struck by Waymo vehicle near Grant Elementary during morning drop-off.
Jan. 23: Waymo reported the incident to NHTSA and issued a company statement.
Jan. 24: NHTSA posted initial report describing child emerging from behind a double-parked SUV.
Jan. 24–25: Local responders evaluated the child; reports indicated minor injuries and release.
Jan. 25: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened a formal inquiry into vehicle behavior and post-impact response.

Media Bias

Articles Published:: 8
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Left Leaning:: 0
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Distribution:: Left 0%, Center 100%, Right 0%

Who Benefited

Regulators, safety advocates, and researchers gained actionable incident data to evaluate autonomous vehicle safety and inform potential policy or oversight adjustments.