Waymo Driverless Taxi Hits Child Near Santa Monica Elementary School

SANTA MONICA, CA — A Waymo driverless taxi struck a child near a Santa Monica elementary school on Friday, prompting federal safety authorities to launch an investigation.

The crash occurred on Jan. 23 "within two blocks" of an unspecified elementary school in Santa Monica during drop-off hours, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report.

The crash occurred at around 7:40 a.m. near 24th and Pearl streets, near Grant Elementary School, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported.

The child ran across the street, emerging from behind a double-parked SUV towards the school when he or he was struck by the Waymo vehicle, according to the report.

SEE ALSO: Video: Baby Tumbles Out Of Moving SUV At Busy CA Intersection

"Waymo reported that the child sustained minor injuries," federal authorities wrote.

In a blog post, Waymo wrote that the child "suddenly entered the roadway" and the driverless vehicle "immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle."

"The (driverless vehicle) braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made" with the child, the post reads.

After the crash, the child "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," according to Waymo.

The NHTSA is investigating whether the Waymo exercised appropriate caution given its proximity to the elementary school during drop-off hours and the presence of young pedestrians, among other factors.

Waymo said the crash "demonstrates the critical value of our safety systems." The company said its past testing has revealed 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" Waymo's driverless vehicles, the company said.

A Waymo vehicle was involved in another crash in Los Angeles just days after the Santa Monica incident.

On Jan. 25, one of its newer Zeekr vehicles sped through a one-way residential street near Dodger Stadium. It struck several parked cars, including one that had a person inside. There were no reported injuries, CNBC reported.

That vehicle was being operated by a human, according to the channel.

The NTSB launched an investigation last week into reports of Waymo vehicles illegally passing school buses that had stopped to load and unload students in Austin.

School officials in the Texas city had previously identified at least 19 such incidents and demanded that the company stop using driverless vehicles during school bus hours until the safety concerns were resolved, CNBC reported.

SEE ALSO:

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