Google sued for negligence after man drove off collapsed bridge while following map directions
Raleigh (North Carolina) (AP): The family of a North Carolina man who died after drriving his car off a collapsed brdige while following Google Maps directions is suing the technology giant for negligence, claiming it had been informed of the collapse but failed to update its navigation system.
Philip Paxson, a medical device salesman and father of two, drowned September 30, 2022, after his Jeep Gladiator plunged into Snow Creek in Hickory, according to a Lawsuit filed Tuesday in Wake Count Suprior Court. PAxson was driving hgome from his daughter's ninth birthday party through an unfamiliar neighbourhood when Google Maps allegedly directed him to cross a bridge that had collapsed nine years prior and was never repaired.
"Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and I'm at a loss for words they can understand because, as an adult, I still can't understand how those responsible for the GPS directions and the bridge could have acted with so little little regard for human life," his wife, Alicia Paxson, said.
State troopers who found Paxton's body in his overturned and partially submerged truck had said there were no barriers or warning signs along the washed-out roadway. He had driven off an unguarded edge and crashed about 20 feet below, according to the lawsuit.
The North Carolina State Patrol had said the bridge was not maintained by local or state officials, and the original developer's company had dissolved. The lawsuit names several private property management companies that it claims are responsible for the bridge and the adjoining land.
Multiple people had notified Google Maps about the collapse in the years leading up to Paxson's death and had urged the company to update its route information, according to the lawsuit.
The Tuesday court filing includes email records from another Hickory resident who had used the map's "suggest an edit" feature in September 2020 to alert the company that it was directing drivers over the collapsed bridge. A November 2020 email confirmation from Google confirms the company received her report and was reviewing the suggested change, but the lawsuit claims Google took no further actions.
"We have the deepest sympathies for the Paxson family," Google spokesperson José Castañeda told The Associated Press "Our goal is to provide accurate routing information in Maps and we are reviewing this lawsuit."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka BJP targets Priyank Kharge for sharing ''AI-generated image'', demands apology
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka BJP has hit out at IT Minister Priyank Kharge, accusing him of spreading fake news by circulating a "malicious AI-generated image" to attack the prime minister and mislead the public about a court order.
They also accused Kharge of mocking the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' initiative and demanded an unconditional apology from him.
Kharge has since deleted the post with the image in question, which referred to the 2017 Unnao rape case.
ALSO READ: Federation infighting, court battles and 2 new world champions: Indian boxing's conflicted year
He said that while the image in the post may have been AI-generated and was shared due to an inadvertent oversight, "your reputation precedes you, @BJP4Karnataka".
The Delhi High Court recently suspended the jail term of expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who is serving life imprisonment in the Unnao rape case, saying he has already served seven years and five months in prison.
The Karnataka BJP claimed that the self-proclaimed "fact-checker" Priyank Kharge was caught spreading fake news.
"Despite holding the IT & BT portfolio, he circulated a malicious, AI-generated image to attack PM @narendramodi and mislead the public about a court order," it said.
"He shamefully mocked the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' initiative -- a crucial scheme for empowering India’s daughters -- using lies to twist its meaning for cheap politics," the BJP alleged.
Accusing Kharge of ignoring facts, the BJP further hit out at him, saying the relief was a court order, which the CBI is challenging, and not a government decision.
"His (Kharge) post violates his own government's Hate Speech Bill by using communal imagery to ridicule a judicial process. Instead of upholding the truth, Priyank Kharge resorts to lies and communal incitement. We demand an unconditional apology and immediate legal action against this misinformation," a post by the state BJP on Friday said.
Reacting to the post, Kharge slammed the party, accusing it of continuing to honour and shield perpetrators.
"The larger issue remains: the BJP continues to honour and shield perpetrators. Why has no action been taken against the POCSO accused in Karnataka? And why is this leader still projected as a mentor and a 'guiding light’ for your party? Would you like me to fact-check it for you?” he added.
