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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Technology
Guardian staff and agency

US regulators open inquiry into Waymo self-driving car that struck child in California

a car on the road
A Waymo driverless taxi is shown driving in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California on 13 January 2026. Photograph: Mike Blake/Reuters

The US’s federal transportation regulator said Thursday it had opened an investigation after a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in southern California last week, causing minor injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the child in Santa Monica ran across the street on 23 January from behind a double parked SUV towards the school and was struck by the Waymo autonomous vehicle during normal school drop-off hours. The agency said there were other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles in the vicinity.

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