Waymo vehicle hits kid in Santa Monica

LOS ANGELES - A Waymo driverless vehicle struck a student on his way to school in Santa Monica, police said. 

What we know:

The crash happened around 7:40 a.m. Friday near 24th and Pearl streets, near Grant Elementary School.

"Preliminary information indicates the student entered the roadway outside the available crosswalk and away from the on-duty crossing guard, and was involved in a low speed, non-injury collision with the vehicle," said Santa Monica Police Department spokesman Lt. Lewis Gilmour.

The student, who was with his parents, was unharmed. Their exact age is unknown. 

What they're saying:

According to Waymo, their vehicle detected the child as soon as he emerged from behind the stopped vehicle.

On their website, Waymo released a statement saying, "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. 

"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."

They say the student immediately stood up after the accident, walked to the sidewalk, and Waymo called 911. The vehicle remained on scene until law enforcement arrived and cleared the vehicle to leave. 

What's next:

Waymo said they contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that same day, and they plan to open an investigation.