A Polish driver who was too sure of his GPS road navigation device ended up neck-deep in a lake after ignoring road signs warning of a dead-end ahead, said Polish police.
“The man took a road that was closed a year ago when the area was flooded to make an artificial lake serving as a water reservoir — he ignored three road signs warning of a dead-end,” Piotr Smolen, police spokesman in Glubczyce, southern Poland, told AFP.
“It was still night time and he didn’t notice the road led into the lake. His GPS told him to drive straight ahead and he did,” Smolen said, adding the driver had not been under the influence of alcohol.
The road ran straight downhill into the lake. The Mercedes mini-van was nearly entirely submerged and was unable to back out on its own after being inundated with water.
The driver placed the first call to emergency services while still inside the sinking van.
Was he distracted by the GPS talking to him?
Or reality?
He has apparently never watched “the office”.
This reminds me of a story (a few years back) about the elderly couple who bought their first mobile home with cruse control.
The guy got on the freeway, set the cruise control, got up out of the driver’s seat, and then went to sleep.
While writing the accident report, the Highway Patrolman asked just what this guy was thinking.
“Isn’t that what cruise control means? I mean, doesn’t it control the car while crusing?”
#2 Urban Legend. Next…..
“A Polish driver…”, enough said.
I guess he was practicing the HUA [head up ass] method of navigation.
Damn, sounds like he may yet breed. I guess he is only a Darwin runner up!
Don
German “engineering.”
This is just silly.
I have the opposite problem,I ignore the GPS voice after a few weeks. My “husband filter” kicks in and I find myself missing turns. I have to change the voice to a different style to avoid. Is this a form of navigational cheating?
Isn’t this supposed to be held for 4/1?
#2 That is an old urban legend. I remember hearing a version of that in the late 70’s. Except in my story it was a wealthy Saudi exchange student who bought a tricked out van from the local Ford dealer to drive to college in.
I always knew Garmin was out to get me.
It’s a shame he never died.
This clown is back on the road.
Reminds me of a joke….
How do you sink a polish submarine?
Knock on the door.