Man freezes to death in car on route suggested by Google Maps

A MAN, 18, froze to death in his car in Russia after travelling down a disused track suggested by Google Maps.

Sergey Ustinov’s car broke down on the so-called Highway of Bones when he was heading from Yakutsk to Magadan, according to local media. The temperature dropped to -50ºC.

His friend, Vladislav Istomin, of the same age, was found with acute hypothermia and is fighting for his life in hospital after spending a week stranded in the vehicle.

Neither of the young men was dressed appropriately for the extreme cold of the region, according to the police, who assured that the vehicle broke down after it hit a piece of wood when it had taken the wrong route. Locals say that the normal thing to do there is to travel with two vehicles in case one breaks down, since temperatures can drop beyond -60ºC.

Google has since removed the route from the App’s system.


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Jennifer Leighfield

Jennifer Leighfield, born in Salisbury, UK; resident in Malaga, Spain since 1989. Degree in Translation and Interpreting in Spanish, French and English from Malaga University (2005), specialising in Crime, Forensic Medicine and Genetics. Published translations include three books by Richard Handscombe. Worked with Euro Weekly News since November 2006. Well-travelled throughout Spain and the rest of the world, fan of Harry Potter and most things ‘geek’.

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