Man, Returning From Daughter's Birthday Party, Dies After GPS Directs Him Off Broken Bridge

A man from North Carolina, US, died after his car fell into a river while he was following his GPS. The father of two was returning from his daughter's birthday when the navigation system directed him to a bridge that was destroyed years ago.

The incident took place in the Hickory City of North Carolina on September 30. Phil Paxson, 47, was driving home after celebrating his daughter's 9th birthday. He was taking directions from a GPS that night, Mr Paxson's mother-in-law Linda McPhee Koenig shared in a Facebook post.

Ms Koenig stated that the navigation system guided Mr Paxson “down a concrete road to a bridge that dropped off into a river”. She added that the bridge had a dead end since it was destroyed nine years ago and was never repaired.

The mother-in-law alleged that the bridge also did not have any safety barriers or signs that could have warned Mr Paxson about the danger. “He will be greatly missed by his family and friends. It was a totally preventable accident. We are grieving his death,” she further wrote in the post.

Following the accident, the North Carolina Highway Patrol reached the spot and found Mr Paxson's vehicle in the creek near 24th Street Place Northeast on the morning of October 1. The car had toppled and was partially submerged in the water. The troopers said that earlier there were barricades to warn drivers about the bridge but they were apparently removed, reported WCNC. 

Mr Paxson's wife, Alicia Paxson, shared photos of the broken bridge on Facebook while stressing that the tragedy was avoidable. 

Ms Paxson also spoke about the dilapidated bridge from 2014 while stating that the accident was a “known hazard” and that her husband “had to lose his life to bring awareness”.