Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search
 

Liberal_in_LA

(44,397 posts)
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:08 PM Mar 2015

Outdated GPS directed driver off abandoned Indiana bridge, killing wife in 37-foot plunge

An out-of-town driver following his car’s outdated GPS system drove off of a demolished Indiana bridge, killing his wife in the passenger seat, deputies said.



Iftikhar Hussain, 64, drove the couple’s 2014 Nissan Sentra off East Chicago’s Cline Avenue bridge — which closed in 2009 and is barricaded with bright orange barrels and cones. The car burst into flames after the 37-foot plunge into pavement below, The Times of Munster reported.

His wife, 51-year-old Zohra Hussain, died from burns, police said. Iftikhar Hussain was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injures.

Lake County deputies said Hussain was likely following directions from his GPS navigation system, which instructed him to turn onto a ramp to the now-demolished bridge over the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal. The couple, from Chicago, was driving to visit family in Indiana and likely didn’t know the area, said Lake County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Patricia Van Til.

While the road leading up to the bridge is marked with large signs that read “road closed,” orange barrels and other barricades, Hussain was likely paying more attention to his GPS than the road, deputies said.


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/gps-told-man-drive-indiana-bridge-cops-article-1.2166855

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Outdated GPS directed driver off abandoned Indiana bridge, killing wife in 37-foot plunge (Original Post) Liberal_in_LA Mar 2015 OP
Those things get people who are driving me somewhere lost all the time. nt Zorra Mar 2015 #1
how horrible. yet.... riversedge Mar 2015 #2
Large signs!? How about an impassable barricade.....before the deadly cliff? A lawsuit for sure. Fred Sanders Mar 2015 #3
Indiana doesn't have the $$$ for these kinds of things... Contrary1 Mar 2015 #4
Not just a deadly cliff - a manmade one. closeupready Mar 2015 #6
the bridge was marked and blocked everywhich way possible. video Liberal_in_LA Mar 2015 #7
A drop like that needs concrete barriers jberryhill Mar 2015 #9
The wooden barricade with sandbags?.....even more reason for a lawsuit, those things are terrible! Fred Sanders Mar 2015 #10
Absolutely jberryhill Mar 2015 #11
Exactly. It should have been impassable, not even a warning " Driveable Death Drop Ahead"? Fred Sanders Mar 2015 #13
There was a similar situation in Baltimore years ago jberryhill Mar 2015 #14
A semi driver went off the side of the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge when a bend was put into it LeftyMom Mar 2015 #17
No lawsuit. He was negligent with not paying attention yeoman6987 Mar 2015 #18
A sad story to caution drivers - GPS tools should be only one closeupready Mar 2015 #5
He paid more attention to his GPS than to the ROAD CLOSED signs directly in front of him derby378 Mar 2015 #8
People make mistakes jberryhill Mar 2015 #12
Of course, there should have been barriers.... Adrahil Mar 2015 #15
being the only one on a highway would set off alarms for me Romeo.lima333 Mar 2015 #16

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
3. Large signs!? How about an impassable barricade.....before the deadly cliff? A lawsuit for sure.
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:15 PM
Mar 2015

Contrary1

(12,629 posts)
4. Indiana doesn't have the $$$ for these kinds of things...
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:17 PM
Mar 2015

We need it to fight all the lawsuits brought about by the idiotic laws being passed.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
9. A drop like that needs concrete barriers
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:27 PM
Mar 2015

No way should it have been physically possible for someone to drive from an open roadway to that drop off.

The fact that he could do so, speaks for itself as to the inadequacy of the closure.

No way should that have been physically possible.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
10. The wooden barricade with sandbags?.....even more reason for a lawsuit, those things are terrible!
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:28 PM
Mar 2015
 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
11. Absolutely
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:29 PM
Mar 2015

It didn't have to be the gps.

Someone could be drunk or having a seizure or mental fugue state.

It takes all of a few minutes to drop some jersey barriers.

This was utterly preventable.

Fred Sanders

(23,946 posts)
13. Exactly. It should have been impassable, not even a warning " Driveable Death Drop Ahead"?
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:31 PM
Mar 2015

An accident waiting to happen..to save a few shillings.

 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
14. There was a similar situation in Baltimore years ago
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:12 PM
Mar 2015

When the various I95 routes through Baltimore were reworked into an amazing knot of elevated concrete ribbons, there were multiple layers of barriers on the approaches to the unfinished parts. I still had recurring nightmares of driving off one of them.

LeftyMom

(49,212 posts)
17. A semi driver went off the side of the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge when a bend was put into it
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:40 PM
Mar 2015

in order to build the new span.

 

closeupready

(29,503 posts)
5. A sad story to caution drivers - GPS tools should be only one
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:18 PM
Mar 2015

of several tools one should use to drive in unfamiliar areas, and perhaps not the most important one...?

derby378

(30,262 posts)
8. He paid more attention to his GPS than to the ROAD CLOSED signs directly in front of him
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:24 PM
Mar 2015


Start at the 1:22 mark.
 

jberryhill

(62,444 posts)
12. People make mistakes
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 08:30 PM
Mar 2015

It should not have been physically possible for this to occur.
 

Adrahil

(13,340 posts)
15. Of course, there should have been barriers....
Tue Mar 31, 2015, 09:23 PM
Mar 2015

...but if the dude didn't see all the signs, he likely would have just plowed into the barriers too.

Tragic accident.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Outdated GPS directed dri...