Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially-constructed bridge in U.P.; 3 dead

The driver was using a navigation system, did not realise that the bridge was unsafe and drove the car off the damaged section of the bridge; there were no safety barriers or warning signs

Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially-constructed bridge in Bareilly on Sunday (November 24, 2024), police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.

The accident occurred around 10 a.m. on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.

“Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system,” Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.

The driver was using a navigation system, did not realise that the bridge was unsafe and drove the car off the damaged section, the police said.

There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Mr. Shivam said.

Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Mr. Shivam added.

The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is under way.

Published - November 24, 2024 10:40 pm IST