Google Maps disaster, 3 men dead after being directed off Incomplete bridge
Three men died in Uttar Pradesh, India, after Google Maps allegedly directed them to drive off an incomplete bridge spanning the Ramganga River.
The victims, traveling from Gurugram to Bareilly were using Google Maps to navigate their route when the accident occurred.
A nighttime accident claimed the lives of three men, who apparently failed to notice the abrupt end of the bridge as they drove. Footage of the aftermath shows onlookers gathering at the edge of the structure, which ends abruptly tens of feet above the ground.
According to local officials, mobile records show that the group used Google Maps until the moment of the accident.
The victims’ families have since criticized the lack of safety measures and demanded accountability.
“The road should have been blocked, but it was not. The maps, too, should not have shown the bridge as complete,” said Pramod Kumar, brother-in-law of one of the victims.
It’s not the first time Google Maps directions have been implicated in a fatal accident. Last year, a North Carolina family sued Google for negligence after their loved one followed the app’s directions and drove off a collapsed bridge in 2022.
At that time, the family claimed the accident was avoidable and could have been prevented with a navigation system update. The bridge had collapsed nine years prior and remained unrepaired.
Experts have warned that GPS navigation services, including Google Maps, can direct hikers onto potentially fatal trails in remote areas.
The latest tragedy has raised questions about accountability. While the construction company’s negligence in allowing vehicles on the incomplete bridge is clear, Google’s role in providing directions that led to the accident is also under scrutiny.
