GPS Leads Driver Into Lake

Now Michael Scott isn't the only one
By Tim Karan,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 17, 2011 3:00 PM CDT
GPS Leads Driver into Lake
A young woman mistakenly followed her GPS and drove into a body of water in Washington.   (Shutterstock)

Are we drowning in new technology? A young woman mistakenly followed her rental car's GPS directions down a boat ramp in Bellevue, Washington. The driver apparently thought she was on a road when she crashed her SUV into the water at Mercer Slough Nature Park, reports KATU.com. One woman immediately jumped to safety, and the other two stood on door frames before wading ashore.

The three women were in town for a conference and were searching for a hotel just after midnight when they drove down the darkened path. "They were trying to re-route their path and found this boat launch," says a local fireman. "[They] just kept driving into the water." The SUV was completely submerged when a tow truck arrived in the morning. Police don't suspect drugs or alcohol were a factor. "We've seen sitcom parodies of something like this," says the fireman. "To actually see it is surprising." (More Mercer Slough Nature Park stories.)

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