Google Maps Blunder Sends Car into River, Locals Save Driver [Video]

Google Maps or navigation is a feature that almost everyone uses to find the best route from one place to another. It works flawlessly in most cities; however, there have been cases where Google Maps has created issues and put the lives of people following the maps in danger. One such incident was recently reported from the Kasargod district of Kerala. A car fell into a swollen river after the driver blindly followed the maps.

The video has been shared by Vartha Malayalam news on their YouTube channel. According to the reports, the accident happened early yesterday morning. Two men traveling in a car fell into the river after following Google Maps. The occupants of the car were traveling on the Bethurpara-Pandi forest road.

The men have been identified as Abdul Rashid (35) and A. Thashreef (36). Rashid was driving the car, and they were traveling from Kasargod to a hospital in the Uppinangady region of Dakshina Kannada district, Karnataka. They were using the maps to reach their destination. As they were traveling early in the morning, they were following the maps blindly.

They were probably new to this route and were not aware that a bridge was in front of them. The bridge had no railing, and the driver thought this was a waterlogged section of the road. He drove the car straight into the river. It was too late by the time they realized what had happened.

The car was caught in the flow and drifted for almost 150 meters before getting stuck on a small boat. The passenger and the driver rolled down the window of the car and jumped out. They spotted a section with some shrubs and trees in the middle of the river. They both reached the spot, and once they found a safe place, they called their relatives and the fire and rescue department to share their location.

The rescue team & locals reached the spot in no time, and the individuals were rescued within an hour. The car was later found almost a kilometer away from the spot. The bridge where this accident happened is old. It is not very tall, and during the monsoon, the bridge gets covered with water when the river’s water level rises.

Four years ago, a new bridge was built by the authorities. It is 500 meters after this old bridge. However, Google Maps doesn’t show this route as it is not updated. People who are not from the region often get stuck or find themselves in trouble because of this. The two individuals in the car were lucky enough to have escaped from this accident without any injuries.

If you are travelling to a new place and are not familiar with the route, it is always a good idea to ask locals on the way rather than following the maps blindly. If you don’t find anyone on the road to ask, drive carefull and check surroundings before following the maps blindly. On the maps, look for alternate routes.

Not the First Time

This is not the first time people have found themselves in a life-threatening situation after using Google Maps. Recently, a family traveling in a Ford Endeavour drove the SUV into a river. The family from Hyderabad was traveling from Munnar to Alappuzha as part of their trip when this accident happened in the Kottayam district.

The road they were traveling on was covered with water due to heavy rainfall. The family, unfamiliar with the roads, was blindly following Google Maps and drove the car directly into the river. Similarly, a truck driver following the maps blindly drove the truck into a reservoir in Telangana.