Waymo Contacts Student In Low-Speed Collision

On January 23, 2026, a Waymo autonomous vehicle contacted a student near Grant Elementary in Santa Monica during morning drop-off, resulting in no injuries according to Santa Monica police and Waymo. Waymo says the vehicle slowed from about 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact, reported the incident to NHTSA, and is cooperating as the agency opens an investigation.