Waymo Vehicle Crashes Into Parked Cars in Los Angeles

The incident occurred while a human employee was behind the wheel of the autonomous vehicle.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 2:31am by Ben Kaplan

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A Waymo autonomous vehicle, with a human employee operating it, crashed into several parked cars on a narrow residential street in Los Angeles. No injuries were reported, and the driver exited the vehicle on their own after the incident.

Why it matters

This crash raises further questions about the safety and reliability of Waymo's autonomous driving technology, especially when a human is in control. Waymo has faced increased scrutiny over incidents involving its self-driving cars, including stalled vehicles and collisions.

The details

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. on Sunday in the 1200 block of Lilac Place near Dodger Stadium. A video shows the Waymo vehicle drifting onto a grass patch, then veering into a row of parked cars before coming to a stop after crashing into the back of another vehicle. Waymo stated the vehicle was being manually driven by an autonomous vehicle specialist at the time.

  • The crash happened around 11 a.m. on Sunday, January 28, 2026.

The players

Waymo

An American autonomous driving company and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

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What they’re saying

“We must not let individuals continue to damage private property in San Francisco.”

— Robert Jenkins, San Francisco resident (San Francisco Chronicle)

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges Waymo faces in ensuring the safety and reliability of its autonomous driving technology, even when a human is behind the wheel. As the company continues to expand its driverless services, it will need to address these concerns to maintain public trust.