California Man Dies After GPS Directs Him Off Cliff
Investigators are still looking into a car accident that happened Tuesday evening, but initial reports say police believe that the crash could have been avoided if it wasnât for a faulty GPS navigation system. Carl Povaromo, age 34, died Tuesday after driving his car off a cliff in Anaheim.Weather in the city being perfect and clear, the fact that there were no brake marks in the road, and no alcohol or drugs found in Povaromoâs system, the accidentÂ was first declared a suicide. Â It wasnât until police found a GPS system in the car that they realized the cause was due toÂ negligence behind the wheel.âWe were able to use the navigation system to re-trace the route of Mr. Povaromo,â said police chief Joe Goldsmith. âThe route that he had been traveling before the crash was right along the edge of a very high cliff, and the GPSÂ had told him to âturn right,â and unfortunately Mr. Povaromo took the instructions literally, immediately turning right, and driving off into the ravine.âPolice are unsure at the moment if the GPS had a glitch in its system, or if the road packet in the unit had never been updated. Either way, police on the scene told Empire News that theyÂ often have people use their GPS as an excuse to get out of tickets for traveling on dangerous, unfinished roads, or the wrong way down one-lane or one-way roads.âYou should always pay attention to the road and not your navigation system,â said Goldsmith. âI mean, you have to be just straight staring at your GPS to go flying off a cliff to your death like a moron. People get so caught up staring at these navigation systems, it is ridiculous. They talk to you for a reason, and you never should take your eyes off the road.âThe company that distributes the GPS, called Letâs Roam!Â claims they have never had a problem like this before. âWe test all of our systems, and update maps as often as possible. Weâd like to give our deepest sympathies and condolences to the Povaromo family. We are sorry to hear that Carl has passed away, but we are very happy that he chose one of our GPS units to lead him to those pearly gates in the sky.âÂ