IN - Driver following GPS drives off demolished bridge, wife killed

JanetElaine · Mar 30, 2015

http://kdvr.com/2015/03/30/driver-following-gps-drives-off-demolished-bridge-wife-killed/

wendybtn · Mar 30, 2015

Good Lord!

SweetT · Mar 30, 2015

Guess they believed gps over all this other stuff?

“The Cline Avenue bridge is marked with numerous barricades including orange barrels and cones, large wood signs stating ROAD CLOSED with orange striped markings,” Lake County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Patricia Van told the paper.

RT51 · Mar 31, 2015

Have we all become so dependent on electronics, that we lose all common sense?

TrackerSam · Mar 31, 2015

RT51 said:
Have we all become so dependent on electronics, that we lose all common sense?

No. Just a few.

MsFacetious · Mar 31, 2015

I think I'm just too skeptical and distrustful to ever understand these situations. :twocents:

al66pine · Mar 31, 2015

MsFacetious said:
I think I'm just too skeptical and distrustful to ever understand these situations. :twocents:

MsF
Are you saying you distrust GPS and would tend to rely more on paper maps?
Or are skeptical about drover's story about mistake?

MsFacetious · Mar 31, 2015

I am skeptical about anything and everything.
When my GPS tells me to turn left and south, I verify that south and left are indeed the same.
I don't just blindly follow what anyone tells me to do.
Regardless of how much smarter than me they are.

Though of course it should be verified that it WAS an accident.
Because we have had a couple of "car accidents" where the husband survived and the wife did not.
Where the wife was not wearing her seat belt when that was not her normal routine.

So yes, making sure her injuries are consistent with the crash is important.
Making sure she was wearing her seat belt and if she was not, that it was normal.
(But that isn't what I initially meant.) :twocents:

Indy Anna · Mar 31, 2015

RT51 said:
Have we all become so dependent on electronics, that we lose all common sense?

It is pretty scary that there are people who do put an incredible amount of faith in technology. I remember reading more than 10 years ago about a man who crashed his camper after he set the cruise control and then went to the back to make a sandwich.

Indy Anna · Mar 31, 2015

MsFacetious said:
I am skeptical about anything and everything.
When my GPS tells me to turn left and south, I verify that south and left are indeed the same.
I don't just blindly follow what anyone tells me to do.
Regardless of how much smarter than me they are.

Though of course it should be verified that it WAS an accident.
Because we have had a couple of "car accidents" where the husband survived and the wife did not.
Where the wife was not wearing her seat belt when that was not her normal routine.

So yes, making sure her injuries are consistent with the crash is important.
Making sure she was wearing her seat belt and if she was not, that it was normal.
(But that isn't what I initially meant.) :twocents:

ITA. One thought I had when I read this was that this sort of accident could be intended as a murder-suicide.

JanetElaine · Mar 31, 2015

Indy Anna said:
ITA. One thought I had when I read this was that this sort of accident could be intended as a murder-suicide.

My mind went there too.

rosesforann · Mar 31, 2015

Indy Anna said:
I remember reading more than 10 years ago about a man who crashed his camper after he set the cruise control and then went to the back to make a sandwich.

Whaaaat. That's nuts. Did he really think that cruise control was also going to automatically STEER?

tiredblondy · Mar 31, 2015

I'll take my maps any day, as long as they are updated.

al66pine · Mar 31, 2015

SweetT said:
Guess they believed gps over all this other stuff?
“The Cline Avenue bridge is marked with numerous barricades including orange barrels and cones, large wood signs stating ROAD CLOSED with orange striped markings,” Lake County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Patricia Van told the paper.

This pix taken in Sept 2012 pix from http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/...cle_cbd32cd1-bb19-5adb-83a9-ee1e09bd4592.html dated May 28
from article: "demolished Cline Avenue bridge, which has been closed since 2009."
The 64 y/o driver-husband "... survived the plunge of 37.5 feet off an elevated section of highway." 51 y/o wife did not.

Seems if they were (more or less local), they w/h/bn aware of bridge closure. Did man suffer from some infirmity
of body or mind that impaired his driving or decision-making? Chronic or temporary? Drug side effect?

If driver wants to spouse gone, can he be sure wife will die, not tragically injured & disabled? Can't be sure, imo.
Ditto if driver plans murder-suicide? Will both die, not one or both injured & disabled? Can't be sure, imo.

No matter what led to the plunge, the outcome is sad.

hockeymom4 · Apr 1, 2015

this is beyond horrible. I feel so sad for the family. I know where this is and this is dangerous, but people unfamiliar, it is scary. Another guy drove through because not properly secure. And proven it wasn't secure the day of the accident.

http://abc7chicago.com/news/report-...efore-fatal-east-chicago-bridge-crash/601607/

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/...cle_e69bc918-3e96-5094-aa57-e7a81c0d3e27.html

SweetT · Apr 1, 2015

rosesforann said:
Whaaaat. That's nuts. Did he really think that cruise control was also going to automatically STEER?

OMG that is too funny, well not really but kinda. My hubby used to work for a big car renting company. They would rent vehicles to foreigners on a fairly regular basis. This one particular time they rented an rv out to a guy who did the same thing virtually. Set the cruise control walked to back to nap or what not and wrecked the RV. I think he said the man was from Iran or something not sure..but yea just nuts.

I thought the people in this car that went off the bridge were elderly, so kinda weird that they would follow gps over common sense, either that or the driver had terrible reflexes.

Saw the link above...Man, someone removed the concrete barrier and sign..OMG! I hope they find who did that cause they are responsible for this womans death. That is so scary.

MyBelle · Apr 1, 2015

MsFacetious said:
I am skeptical about anything and everything.
When my GPS tells me to turn left and south, I verify that south and left are indeed the same.
I don't just blindly follow what anyone tells me to do.
Regardless of how much smarter than me they are.

Though of course it should be verified that it WAS an accident.
Because we have had a couple of "car accidents" where the husband survived and the wife did not.
Where the wife was not wearing her seat belt when that was not her normal routine.

So yes, making sure her injuries are consistent with the crash is important.
Making sure she was wearing her seat belt and if she was not, that it was normal.
(But that isn't what I initially meant.) :twocents:

According to the Chicago news stories about this tragedy, the driver was going by the GPS screen rather than the road signs. Garmin-type GPS does need to be updated and it was not. It was an accident. It is very easy to get lost in this area.

JMO

al66pine · Apr 1, 2015

From link: If man 'drove around' this line of barriers, it w/h/taken some maneuvering. Sideshow at:
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/...cle_e69bc918-3e96-5094-aa57-e7a81c0d3e27.html

Ditto this:

BUT:
"At least one concrete barrier and one barricade sign on Cline Avenue were moved sometime before a Chicago woman died last weekend when her husband drove off a section of road leading to a demolished bridge, an official said."

"Indiana Department of Transportation crews check the barricade signs and barriers in the eastbound lanes leading up to the demolished Cline Avenue Bridge at least once a week to ensure they're properly placed, the road closure is clearly posted and vehicles cannot travel on the road, agency spokesman Matt Deitchley said.Deitchley said he didn't have information about whether the barricade sign and concrete barrier were moved by hand or with a vehicle." bbm

fruity · Apr 1, 2015

It looks like it would be difficult for this to be an accident.

My GPS once told me to turn across 5 lanes of traffic and off the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I bought a new one the next day.

MyBelle · Apr 1, 2015

fruity said:
It looks like it would be difficult for this to be an accident.

My GPS once told me to turn across 5 lanes of traffic and off the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I bought a new one the next day.

Accidents happen when barriers are moved or are improperly placed. There really is no excuse for condemning a bridge and just leaving part of it standing for six years. I have a friend who lost his son in a similar accident in Nebraska many years ago after a Prom. It took three weeks to find the submerged car and the young couple in it.

JMO

IN - Driver following GPS drives off demolished bridge, wife killed

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