Incident Overview

A woman driving in Navi Mumbai experienced a startling incident when her car ended up in a ditch due to misleading directions from Google Maps. The event occurred on a Friday morning as she was traveling from Belapur to Ulwe. Instead of guiding her over the Bay bridge in Belapur, the navigation app directed her along a route beneath the bridge, leading towards Dhruvatara Jetty. Unaware of the misdirection, she continued to follow the app’s instructions, which resulted in her vehicle plunging into the water.

Quick Rescue Efforts

Marine security officials, who witnessed the accident, acted swiftly to rescue the woman. They managed to pull her out of the ditch within minutes, finding her floating in the water. Fortunately, she was unharmed by the incident. The officials also successfully retrieved her car from the ditch using a crane, as captured in a video of the rescue operation.

Recurring Navigation Issues

This incident is not an isolated case of Google Maps leading drivers astray. Last year, a tragic accident occurred when three individuals died after their car, guided by Google Maps, drove onto a damaged bridge and fell into a river 50 feet below in Faridpur. The vehicle was en route from Bareilly to Dataganj in Badaun district. In response, Google expressed its condolences and assured cooperation with authorities to investigate the mishap.

Similar Past Incidents

In another occurrence, a tourist group from Hyderabad encountered danger while following Google Maps in Kerala. Heavy rains had caused a stream to overflow onto the road they were traveling on. Unfamiliar with the area and relying on navigation instructions, they inadvertently drove into the water body. Fortunately, all four tourists escaped without injury.