What was supposed to be a wedding trip turned into a nightmare when three men, blindly trusting Google Maps, drove their car off an unlit, incomplete bridge in Uttar Pradesh. With no safety barriers, no warning signs, and outdated digital directions, the tragedy exposes a chilling mix of human error, tech dependence, and government negligence.
Three men were killed in the early hours of November 24 after their car, guided by Google Maps, plunged off an incomplete bridge into the Ramganga riverbed in Uttar Pradesh, India.
According to Indian media reports, the victims were traveling from Noida to Bareilly for a wedding when their Wagon R drove onto an unlit, incomplete bridge that had collapsed earlier in 2024 during flooding. Their vehicle fell more than 15 meters before crashing onto the dry riverbed. Some reports suggest the men were returning home from the celebration at the time of the accident.
The wreckage and the three bodies were discovered the next morning by villagers in Allapur, who immediately alerted the police. “At around 9.30 a.m., we were informed about a damaged car found in the Ramganga river,” a police spokesperson told The Hindustan Times. “Our team discovered the vehicle suspected to be a taxi. The bodies of the victims were recovered and sent for post-mortem.”
Two victims were identified as brothers Nitin and Ajit, aged 30, while the third was identified as 40-year-old Amit. All three were declared dead at the scene.
Faridpur police officer Ashutosh Shivam said the bridge’s front portion had collapsed months ago, but the change had not been updated on Google Maps. He also confirmed that the bridge lacked safety barriers and warning signs, leaving it dangerously open.
Anger erupted among the families of the victims and local residents, who blasted both the Public Works Department and local authorities for gross negligence. “The officials must be held accountable for this. Why was the bridge left incomplete and why were there no safety measures in place?” one relative told The Hindustan Times.
Police investigations are now underway, with four engineers from the Public Works Department and a Google Maps representative assisting inquiries. A Google spokesperson issued condolences, stating, “Our deepest sympathies go out to the families. We’re working closely with the authorities and providing our support to investigate the issue.”
The incident raises pressing questions about the risks of blind reliance on navigation apps and the responsibility of governments to maintain proper safety measures on incomplete infrastructure.
