A group of Los Angeles residents returning from Las Vegas were stranded in the desert after Google Maps reportedly took them on an off-road adventure to avoid traffic caused by a dust storm.
The bumpy ride for Shelby Easler, her brother and their significant other began Sunday when Easler said they were advised by the navigation system to take a faster off-road route than Interstate 15, which was delayed by the storm.
But the Californians ended up stuck on a dirt road and had to call a tow truck to pick them up, according to reports.
“Ironically we thought it would be the safer option, and it said it would be 50 minutes faster,” Easler sent a message to SFGATE via Instagram.
“It was our first time driving to/from Vegas, so we didn’t know that you could only take I-15 there and back.”
In a Tiktok video posted by Easler this week, it shows a line of cars struggling on bumpy roads with an invisible paved road.
Google Maps is reportedly taking Los Angeles residents on off-road trips to avoid traffic caused by dust storms.justdoingshelbythings/TikTok
Navigation photos appear to show them crossing paths with terrain.
“The first driver who turned back spoke to us to tell us that the road was going to be washed away the higher up the mountain you got, and that we had to turn back because the road was going nowhere,” he told the outlet. “He was in a big truck and just drove straight through bushes and undergrowth to tell people to turn around.”
The group called for help, but the California Highway Patrol was unable to respond because it was dealing with a dust storm emergency, according to the TikTok video.
Authorities had to close Interstate 15 in both directions at the California-Nevada border due to storm conditions, SFGate reported.
The journey began Sunday when the group was advised by the navigation system to take a faster alternative route instead of Interstate 15.justdoingshelbythings/TikTok
Eventually, Easler and company call a tow truck that rescues them, though they’re stuck leaving the car in Vegas with extensive damage.
“In the future,” he told SFGate, “I’ll stick to the path I know and double-check elsewhere if the path looks sketchy.”
Googled confirmed to The Post that it is investigating.
“In the uncertain situation, we are working as quickly as possible to update routes based on information from local authorities and sudden changes in driving patterns. We are investigating the issue that occurred over the weekend, and can confirm that we are directing drivers through Interstate 15 since it reopened,” a Google spokesperson said.
This photo of the navigation map shows the group traversing a route with terrain. justdoingshelbythings/TikTok
This is not the first time the navigation system has caused problems for users.
A hiker had to be rescued by helicopter this month when he used Google Maps to get directions as he tried to reach the top of a mountain in Vancouver, Canada.
In a lawsuit against Google in September, the family of a North Carolina man who died after he drove off a collapsed bridge blamed the tech giant for the death, saying their loved ones followed directions on Google Maps.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
