Truck Following Google Maps Strays Into Village, Rams House In Odisha’s Bhadrak
Truck driver allegedly lost his way in dense fog while relying on Google Maps for navigation
Bhubaneswar : A truck travelling from Cuttack to Dhamra Port veered off the main road and rammed into a residential house in Odisha’s Bhadrak district early Thursday after the driver allegedly lost his way in dense fog while relying on Google Maps for navigation, police said.
The incident occurred at Patrasahi village under the Chandbali area along the Bhadrak–Chandbali main road. Police sources said visibility was severely reduced due to thick fog in the early morning hours, making road signs and turns difficult to spot. The driver, reportedly unfamiliar with the route, continued to depend on GPS directions.
While approaching Digachhia Chhak, the truck was diverted from the main road into a narrow internal village lane. According to local residents, the heavy vehicle entered deep into the habitation before the driver realised he had strayed off course.
The village road, residents said, was too narrow to accommodate a heavy commercial vehicle. As the driver attempted to turn the truck around, he failed to manoeuvre due to space constraints, causing the vehicle to ram into an asbestos-roofed house.
The house, belonging to a local resident identified as Ramesh Das, suffered partial damage. Several household items were also damaged in the impact. No injuries were reported, as family members managed to move out of the house in time, police said.
Preliminary findings indicate that dense fog was a key factor behind the incident, with visibility dropping to extremely low levels. The driver reportedly lost visual cues of the roadway and continued driving by relying solely on the navigation app, which led the truck into the village interior.
Following the collision, villagers gathered at the site and alerted the police. Police personnel reached the spot, pacified residents and initiated measures to remove the truck and clear the obstruction.
The vehicle was later recovered and taken to the police station for further inquiry. Police said an investigation is underway and confirmed that there was no loss of life in the incident.