Waymo robotaxi hits a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica | TechCrunch
Topics
Latest
AI
Amazon
Apps
Biotech & Health
Climate
Cloud Computing
Commerce
Crypto
Enterprise
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
Gadgets
Gaming
Google
Government & Policy
Hardware
Instagram
Layoffs
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
Security
Social
Space
Startups
TikTok
Transportation
Venture
More from TechCrunch
Staff
Events
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Newsletters
Podcasts
Videos
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
Waymo robotaxi hits a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica
A Waymo robotaxi struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica on January 23, according to the company. Waymo told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that the child — whose age is not known — sustained minor injuries.
The NHTSA has opened an investigation into the accident, and Waymo said in a blog post that it “will cooperate fully with them throughout the process.”
Waymo said its robotaxi struck the child at 6 miles per hour, after braking “hard” from around 17 miles per hour. The young pedestrian “suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path,” the company said in its blog post. Waymo said its vehicle “immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle.”
“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 wrote in the post.
News of the crash comes as Waymo faces dual investigations into its robotaxis illegally passing school buses. NHTSA opened a probe into the problem in October shortly after the first report of the incident in Atlanta, Georgia, and the National Transportation Safety Board opened its own investigation last week after around 20 incidents were reported in Austin, Texas.
This story is developing…
Topics
Sr. Reporter, Transportation
Sean O’Kane is a reporter who has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the transportation industry, including Tesla and the many startups chasing Elon Musk. Most recently, he was a reporter at Bloomberg News where he helped break stories about some of the most notorious EV SPAC flops. He previously worked at The Verge, where he also covered consumer technology, hosted many short- and long-form videos, performed product and editorial photography, and once nearly passed out in a Red Bull Air Race plane.
You can contact or verify outreach from Sean by emailing [email protected] or via encrypted message at okane.01 on Signal.
Tickets are live at the lowest rates of the year. Save up to $680 on your pass — and if you’re among the first 500 registrants, score a +1 pass at 50% off.Meet investors. Discover your next portfolio company. Hear from 250+ tech leaders, dive into 200+ sessions, and explore 300+ startups building what’s next. Don’t miss these one-time savings.
Most Popular
Tesla is killing off the Model S and Model X
Tesla is killing off the Model S and Model X
The price gap between Waymo and Uber is narrowing
The price gap between Waymo and Uber is narrowing
Anthropic launches interactive Claude apps, including Slack and other workplace tools
Anthropic launches interactive Claude apps, including Slack and other workplace tools
This founder cracked firefighting — now he’s creating an AI gold mine
This founder cracked firefighting — now he’s creating an AI gold mine
TikTok users freak out over app’s ‘immigration status’ collection — here’s what it means
TikTok users freak out over app’s ‘immigration status’ collection — here’s what it means
Researchers say Russian government hackers were behind attempted Poland power outage
Researchers say Russian government hackers were behind attempted Poland power outage
Microsoft gave FBI a set of BitLocker encryption keys to unlock suspects’ laptops: Reports
Microsoft gave FBI a set of BitLocker encryption keys to unlock suspects’ laptops: Reports
© 2025 TechCrunch Media LLC.