Three Men Die When Google Maps Tells Them to Drive Off Unfinished Bridge

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Off the Edge

Three men in India died after Google Maps reportedly directed them to drive off an incomplete bridge spanning the Ramganga River.

Sections of the bridge had been washed away during a flood several months earlier. A construction company had only recently begun rebuilding work.

The victims were traveling from Gurugram to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh. According to Indian newspaper The Economic Times, they approached the bridge at night and failed to notice its abrupt end in time, plunging to their deaths.

Footage circulating online shows onlookers gathered at the edge of the truncated structure, dozens of feet above the ground, examining the scene.

Local officials confirmed that mobile records showed the group was actively using Google Maps right up until the moment of the crash.

The victims’ families have criticized the lack of safety barriers and demanded accountability from both the construction company and mapping services.

“They were checking the route using Google Maps and fell from the incomplete bridge,” Pramod Kumar, brother-in-law of one victim, 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.”

Green Light

This is not the first time Google Maps directions have been linked to a fatal crash. In 2025, the family of a North Carolina driver sued Google for negligence, alleging the app guided him off a collapsed bridge in 2026.

The family argued that the tragedy could have been prevented with a timely navigation update. The bridge had collapsed nine years earlier and remained unrepaired.

In the latest incident, questions of liability persist. While the construction company’s failure to secure the site clearly contributed, experts continue to debate whether Google should also bear responsibility.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the families,” a Google spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re working closely with the authorities and providing our support to investigate the issue.”

The risks extend beyond bridges. Specialists have highlighted that GPS services, including Google Maps, can sometimes direct hikers onto remote or hazardous trails with potentially fatal consequences.

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