--- title: "Three Men Die When Google Maps Tells Them to Drive Off Unfinished Bridge" description: "Three men in India died after Google Maps reportedly told them to drive their taxi off an incomplete bridge spanning the Ramganga River." date: "2024-11-25" modified: "2024-11-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/three-men-die-google-maps-unfinished-bridge" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Future Society" - "Google" tags: - "google maps" - "india" - "the digest" --- # Three Men Die When Google Maps Tells Them to Drive Off Unfinished Bridge ![Three men in India died after Google Maps reportedly told them to drive their taxi off an incomplete bridge spanning the Ramganga River.]() *\Image: Surya Reddy via X\* ## Off the Edge Three men in India died after Google Maps reportedly told them to drive off an incomplete bridge spanning the Ramganga River. Portions of the bridge were washed away during a flood months earlier, and a construction company had only begun to rebuild it. As Indian newspaper [*The Economic Times* reports](), the men were traveling from Gurugram to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh and seemingly didn't see the end of the bridge ahead of them in time as they drove at night, causing them to plummet to their deaths. Footage [circulating online]() shows a group of onlookers examining the grisly scene from the edge of the abruptly ending structure, tens of feet above the ground. According to local officials, mobile records indicated the group was using Google Maps right up until the accident occurred. The victims' families have since criticized the absence of safety measures and called for accountability. "They were checking the route using Google Maps and fell from the incomplete bridge," one of the victim's brother-in-law Pramod Kumar told *The Economic Times*. "The road should have been blocked, but it wasn’t. The maps shouldn’t have shown that the bridge was complete." https://youtu.be/JlEZODRLjnM ## Green Light It's not the first time Google Maps directions have been implicated in an automotive death. Last year, the family of a tragically deceased North Carolina driver [sued Google for negligence](), claiming the app told him to drive off a collapsed bridge in 2022. At the time, the family claimed the accident could've easily been avoided with a navigation systems update. The bridge had [collapsed nine years ago]() and had remained unrepaired ever since. As for the latest tragedy, plenty of questions remain. While it's clear that negligence on the part of the construction company, which allowed cars onto the incomplete bridge, played a major role, should Google also be held liable for the deaths? "Our deepest sympathies go out to the families," a Google spokesperson told *Futurism* in a statement. "We're working closely with the authorities and providing our support to investigate the issue." It's not just incomplete or collapsed bridges — [experts have since pointed out]() that GPS navigation services including Google Maps could lead hikers onto "[potentially fatal]()" trails in remote areas. *Updated with comment from Google.* **More on Google Maps:** *[Google Street View Is Showing Strange "Businesses" in the Middle of the Ocean]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()