PWD, Google Maps officials booked for causing death of 3 men whose car was led onto incomplete bridge by navigation app

Police here have booked four engineers of the Public Works Department and an unnamed official of Google Maps in connection with the death of three men whose car rolled over an under-construction bridge while following directions on the navigation app, an officer on Nov 25 said.

The car fell into the Ramganga River from a partially constructed bridge in Dataganj Police Station area early Nov 24.

Nitin and Ajit, both 30 and both brothers from Farrukhabad district, and Amit, 40, from Mainpuri district, were on their way from Noida to Faridpur in Bareilly to attend a wedding.

The incident took place on the Bareilly-Budaun border.

According to police, the driver was led by Google Maps into taking the unsafe route.

Dataganj Police Station SHO Gaurav Bishnoi said an FIR was filed against four engineers of the PWD, along with some unknown people.

The regional officer of Google Map has also been brought under the scope of investigation but his name is yet to be included in the FIR.

Budaun District Magistrate Nidhi Srivastava told PTI, "Apart from corrective measures at the site, FIR under section 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the BNS has been registered against 2 Assistant Engineers and 2 Junior Engineers of PWD and unknown persons."

She said instructions have been issued to the PWD and Setu Nigam to inspect all roads, bridges, flyovers, and underpasses to prevent a repeat of such incidents.

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

On Nov 24, Faridpur Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said a portion of the bridge was destroyed in a flood.

"Earlier this year, floods caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse onto the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," he said.

The bridge had no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach when the incident happened, he added.

(PTI)