Two men were killed when their Jeep plunged into a ravine in Kern County, California, north of Los Angeles, during what’s described as a GPS treasure hunt (geocaching?). Via GPS Tracklog, where Rich promises to post more details as they come available. He takes issue with the article’s headline (“GPS game: Men drive off cliff, die”) — “surely they did not drive over a cliff because their GPS told them to,” he writes.
Updating yesterday’s story entitled “Two fatalities in GPS treasure hunt,” I was able to glean this information from Bakersfield.com, the website of the Bakersfield Californian:
“Two GPS treasure hunters were killed sometime over the Memorial Day weekend when their four-wheel-drive vehicle struck the side of a canyon wall near Onyx and they veered over a 900-foot, granite-ribbed cliff…
…The two men had been participating in an organized cross-country treasure hunt, believed to have originated in San Bernardino County, using global positioning system coordinates, according to the CHP. Typically in such competitions, participants locate a hidden marker, then move on to the next item on their checklist…
…Based on debris and skid marks at the scene, investigators believe the men, driving westbound on Cook Peak Road in a 1991 Jeep Cherokee, struck the side of the canyon wall and then veered back across the road and over the side of the west embankment. The cliff is lined with granite boulders, and as the Jeep tumbled 900 feet to the bottom, it was crushed.”
So the GPS did not lead them off the cliff, despite the previously cited headline — GPS game: Men drive off cliff, die.” There is no evidence that the men were distracted by the GPS either, though that is one of many possibilities. Here’s the source link for the full story, but be prepared for one of the most onerous registration processes I’ve come across recently.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Please be careful while driving. Use a designated navigator whenever possible.
