An autonomous vehicle accident involving a student occurred in Santa Monica last week, but fortunately, no injuries were reported, as confirmed by the Santa Monica Police Department.
The police department detailed the incident in a statement provided to Fox News Digital, explaining, “On January 23, 2026, at approximately 8:31 a.m., officers from the Santa Monica Police Department were dispatched to a traffic accident involving an autonomous vehicle and a student near the intersection of 24th Street and Pearl Street, close to Grant Elementary School.”
The statement further noted, “Initial findings suggest that the student stepped into the street outside the designated crosswalk and away from the on-duty crossing guard, resulting in a low-speed collision with the autonomous vehicle. Thankfully, no injuries were sustained.”
The scene was attended by personnel from the Santa Monica Fire Department, who assessed the student and confirmed there were no injuries. The student’s parent was present during the evaluation. Police officers conducted a preliminary investigation at the site, and the incident is still under examination.
Waymo, the company behind the autonomous vehicle and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., also released a statement regarding the event.
Waymo, a company that falls under Alphabet’s umbrella, issued a statement about the incident.
“Following the event, we voluntarily contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that same day. NHTSA has indicated to us that they intend to open an investigation into this incident, and we will cooperate fully with them throughout the process,” the company noted in the statement.
A Waymo drives across Congress Avenue on 8th Street in front of the Capitol Building as rain arrives in the Austin area on Friday, Jan. 23, 2025, ahead of anticipated drops in temperature and freezing rain over the weekend. (Sara Diggins/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
“The event occurred when the pedestrian suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path. Our technology immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle. The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made,” the company asserted.
Waymo suggested that the vehicle slowed down faster than a human driver would have in such a circumstance.
“To put this in perspective, our peer-reviewed model shows that a fully attentive human driver in this same situation would have made contact with the pedestrian at approximately 14 mph. This significant reduction in impact speed and severity is a demonstration of the material safety benefit of the Waymo Driver,” the company declared.
“Following contact, the pedestrian stood up immediately, walked to the sidewalk, and we called 911. The vehicle remained stopped, moved to the side of the road, and stayed there until law enforcement cleared the vehicle to leave the scene,” Waymo noted.
