Waymo Vehicle Strikes Child Near Santa Monica School

Incident raises concerns about autonomous vehicle safety near schools

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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A Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a 9-year-old student near Grant Elementary School in Santa Monica, California on January 23. The child suffered minor injuries and was able to walk away from the scene. The incident has prompted investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into whether Waymo's automated driving system was appropriately calibrated for the school zone environment.

Why it matters

Waymo has faced ongoing public skepticism about the safety of its self-driving technology, and this incident near an elementary school during morning drop-off hours is the kind of event that further erodes public trust. Regulators are now scrutinizing whether Waymo's system was operating at a safe speed and with adequate caution in an area with a high concentration of pedestrians, especially young children.

The details

According to the NTSB's preliminary report, the Waymo vehicle was traveling southbound at around 17 mph in a 25 mph school zone when the child stepped out from behind a double-parked SUV and into the road. The Waymo vehicle braked but still struck the child near the front-right headlight. After the collision, a Waymo remote operator contacted 911 and directed the vehicle to pull over safely.

  • The incident occurred around 8:30 am on January 23, 2026 in Santa Monica, California.
  • The NTSB released its preliminary report on the crash on March 3, 2026.
  • The NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation into the incident on January 28, 2026.

The players

Waymo

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

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)

An independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

A U.S. government agency responsible for writing and enforcing federal motor vehicle safety standards.

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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)

What’s next

The NTSB and NHTSA investigations into the incident are ongoing, and their final determinations could impact Waymo's operations and public perception of autonomous vehicle safety.

The takeaway

This crash near an elementary school highlights the challenges autonomous vehicle companies face in earning public trust, especially in sensitive environments like school zones where an abundance of caution is required. Regulators will be closely scrutinizing whether Waymo's system was appropriately configured to handle the unique risks of operating near young pedestrians.