GPS misguides three to death: Car plunges off incomplete bridge in UP’s Bareilly

Shahjahanpur: Three employees of a Gurgaon-based security company met a tragic end on Sunday morning when their car, misdirected by GPS, plunged off an incomplete bridge over the Ramganga River connecting Samrer to Faridpur.

The accident, caused by the half-finished structure, resulted in the immediate death of all three occupants.

The victims were heading towards Faridpur for a wedding when they followed GPS directions, unknowingly taking a dangerous route to the abandoned bridge.

Lacking barricades and warning signs, the bridge proved fatal for unsuspecting travellers.

The wreckage was discovered by residents of Khallpur village in Bareilly district, who spotted the car beneath the bridge while heading to their fields. Police teams from both Bareilly and Badaun districts arrived on the scene.

Once the site was identified as falling under Faridpur’s jurisdiction, local police retrieved the bodies using boats and conducted post-mortems after contacting the victims’ families.

Investigations revealed the deceased as Nitin Kumar (30) and Ajit Kumar (35), both cousins and drivers from Farrukhabad, and their relative Amit Kumar from Mainpuri.

All three were employed by a Gurgaon-based security company. Their ill-fated journey had been to attend a family wedding in Faridpur later that day.

The trio had opted for an alternate route through Badaun instead of the usual Moradabad-Bareilly highway, relying on GPS navigation.

The incomplete bridge, abandoned after its approach road was washed away by floods two years ago, became a death trap.

Local residents confirmed that while they were aware of the bridge’s dangers, travellers from outside the area were often misled.

“GPS showed the bridge as operational, but no barricades or warning signs were there to prevent such accidents,” a local said. The incident has fuelled anger among locals, who blame government apathy for the tragedy.

Despite earlier efforts to secure the bridge with barriers, they were never repaired after being damaged. “Had proper barricades or signage been installed, this tragedy could have been averted,” a villager said, demanding accountability.

This tragedy underscores the urgent need for accurate navigation systems, timely infrastructure repairs, and robust safety measures to prevent further loss of life.