Philip Paxson’s family are suing the company over his death, alleging that Google negligently failed to show the bridge had fallen nine years earlier.
Mr Paxson died in September 2022 after attempting to drive over the damaged bridge in Hickory, North Carolina.
A spokesperson for Google said the company was reviewing the allegations.
The case was filed in civil court in Wake County on Tuesday.
Mr Paxson, a father of two, was driving home from his daughter’s ninth birthday party at a friend’s house and was in an unfamiliar neighbourhood at the time of his death, according to the family’s lawsuit.
His wife had driven his two daughters home earlier, and he stayed behind to help clean up.
“Unfamiliar with local roads, he relied on Google Maps, expecting it would safely direct him home to his wife and daughters,” lawyers for the family said in a statement announcing the lawsuit.
“Tragically, as he drove cautiously in the darkness and rain, he unsuspectingly followed Google’s outdated directions to what his family later learned for nearly a decade was called the ‘Bridge to Nowhere,’ crashing into Snow Creek, where he drowned.”
Local residents had repeatedly contacted Google to have them change their online maps after the bridge collapsed in 2013, the suit claims.
Based on the picture in the article, maybe just look at where you’re driving for once. If you can’t see far enough slow down.
Tho it’s definitely the street maintainers responsibility to put up enough warnings/barriers
So apparently the barriers were missing “due to vandalism” and it was raining heavily the night this happened.
I am a bit terrified of this. Sometimes when I’m driving at night I realize, to assume the road doesn’t end right over the next hill is to put full faith in the state. You have to trust your government to am extreme to go 70 mph over a hill you can’t see past. Some people in some places don’t have that luxury, and it won’t be like that forever anywhere.
You’re driving a several thousand kilogram death machine. The luxury you’re referring to is irresponsibility.
The ability to drive on a road and know it will be in front of you is called irresponsibility?
The entitlement to assume all roads are safe at all times even when you can’t see them is very irresponsible.
you’re telling me you slow down to 25mph on the freeway if you can’t see around the bend?