Driver follows GPS onto pedestrian walkway, into cherry tree

In another example of the evils of computer navigation, a 37-year-old trucker followed his GPS directions to their totally illogical conclusion when he drove his truck down a pedestrian walkway and wedged the delivery vehicle into a cherry tree. The driver, who was looking for a factory to drop off his cargo, blindly followed the female voice of his navigation system, apparently ignoring several no-entry signs and turning onto the walkway in broad daylight. The motorist then attempted to reverse out, damaging two lamp posts, a hedge, and of course the cherry tree, which Swiss workers later had to take a chainsaw to. The tucker was fined 650 Swiss francs (about $540), and his GPS was given a firmware update and a copy of Google Maps.

[Thanks, pork_musket]

[kevink @ Jul 21st 2007 5:18PM]

And a chevy in a bare tree...

[Stephen @ Jul 21st 2007 5:22PM]

Who does that?

[L.Rawlins @ Jul 21st 2007 5:48PM]

All the impending delights of hover car joy riding are represented in that single magnificent image.

Hilarious.

[Dustin Frazier @ Jul 21st 2007 5:51PM]

This is awesome as long as no one is hurt. It's an easy way for the authorities to find out who should have their driving and procreation privileges permanently revoked.

[zonamanoz @ Jul 21st 2007 5:53PM]

HOW?

[Pedro @ Jul 21st 2007 5:53PM]

Nice Photoshop. I hope!

[J L @ Jul 21st 2007 6:02PM]

Hold on there. This was on some TV show. The truck was put there on purpose. It had nothing to do with GPS. Engadget, get your stories right

[Stagg @ Jul 21st 2007 6:12PM]

Didn't they sit up there, like a tree house? Ugh what's this from!

[paloooz @ Jul 21st 2007 6:12PM]

The picture is not "from the story" ... that is not the truck that drove into the cherry tree.

[J L @ Jul 21st 2007 6:19PM]

Oh, well. I thought they just took that pic and tried to make a dumb story out of it...

Ugh, what was that truck on? HGTV? Discovery?

[Icheb @ Jul 21st 2007 7:05PM]

Hey moron, check the "Read" link next time before you post stupid comments.

[J L @ Jul 21st 2007 7:09PM]

Hey, I'm sorry ok? I was in a bit of a hurry.

Don't just go around calling people morons...

[kyle allen @ Jul 21st 2007 11:42PM]

are those even cherry trees in the pic? look more like white oak to me

[Dave @ Jul 22nd 2007 12:26AM]

moron

[DAZA @ Jul 22nd 2007 3:50AM]

Don't go around telling people to get their stories right unless you're sure they're wrong.

[NovaLand @ Jul 22nd 2007 7:43AM]

The picture was right but the story was wrong.. depending on how u see on it.

[ssuk @ Jul 22nd 2007 9:17AM]

"Don't just go around calling people morons..."
Welcome to the internet. Now get the fuck back off.

[strider_mt2k @ Jul 22nd 2007 7:54PM]

Oh bruddah.

[Deluxe @ Jul 22nd 2007 9:43PM]

LOL, What a tard.

[Mike @ Jul 21st 2007 6:11PM]

Face it some men are just trained to listen to a female voice regardless of their own thoughts to the contrary... Repeat after me.. "But Honey..........."

[Jeff @ Jul 21st 2007 6:36PM]

Stupidity aside, I guess it gives good reason to stay on top of your technology updates.

[Chris ][ @ Jul 21st 2007 6:57PM]

This is actually on Highway 43 just East of Beloit, Wisconsin. It's for a classic car sales shop. It's been there as long as I can remember (I'm 35 now).

[Gar @ Jul 24th 2007 6:01PM]

Been there as long as I can remember as well (25). I was trying to get a google maps image of it, but the maps are too blury that far out.

I'm just glad some one else knows the picture, if not the story is BS. :)

[BillR @ Jul 23rd 2007 2:47PM]

I'll confirm this on I43 in Wisconsin near Beloit.

[Spellbinder @ Jul 21st 2007 8:28PM]

for pix: http://www.zisch.ch/navigation/top_main_nav/NEWS/Regional/lu/detail.htm?client_request_contentOID=240030
Text is german -> dont hurt your eyes :p

[Wwhat @ Jul 21st 2007 8:42PM]

Google maps, google uses 5 year old pictures, so I wonder how fresh their mapdata is, not sure that's going to improve things.

[fsjk85 @ Jul 21st 2007 9:48PM]

the truck in the picture was on ripley's

[Galley @ Jul 22nd 2007 8:45AM]

That reminds me of the time I was delivering pizzas in North Dakota in the winter. I was supposed to go to a skating rink warming house. I drove onto what I thought was another parking lot, but was in fact the skating rink! D'oh!

[Cameron Boyd(ZLLIVE.COM) @ Jul 22nd 2007 9:28AM]

Looks like theres a black horse under the truck.

[Bernard @ Jul 23rd 2007 2:09AM]

man, i can't believe someone is that stupid to follow his GPS like that! I have a GPS in my car as well, but i keep it on mute and only refer to it if i'm really lost. I have enough awareness of my surroundings to figure out where i'm going 95% of the time. the GPS is your ASSISTANT! You are still the captain and you can choose to ignore the GPS if u shall choose.

[BillR @ Jul 23rd 2007 2:46PM]

Here's some views of the truck from the air. It's off of I43.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.birdseyetourist.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/pickup01.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.birdseyetourist.com/%3Fp%3D664&h=150&w=150&sz=21&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=1w3VaKVXjpUqpM:&tbnh=96&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dtruck%2Bin%2Ba%2Btree%2BI-43%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG