A convoy of travelers en route from Las Vegas to Los Angeles found themselves stranded in the desert when Google Maps diverted them onto an alternate road to bypass a dust storm affecting Interstate 15, the main highway connecting Southern California to Las Vegas.
A convoy was reported including Shelby Easler, her brother, and their significant others were returning from the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix when Google Maps redirected to avoid traffic caused by a dust storm.
They followed Google Maps' suggestion to take a supposedly quicker off-road route instead of the highway, which was experiencing delays due to the dust storm.
Accroding to SFGate, Easler said: 'We ironically thought it would be a safer option, and it did say it would be 50 minutes faster.
'It was our first time driving to/from Vegas, so we didn't know that you can really only take the I-15 back and forth.'
Assuming it would be a safer option, however, they were unaware that their decision led them to encounter unexpected challenges.
Easler documented the ordeal on TikTok, and the now-viral video, with nearly 2 million views. The footage showed a group of cars driving down the sand together.
Then, the car was stuck on a gravel road and moving at two miles per hour to avoid damage. Despite attempts by a convoy of travelers to turn around and return to the highway, it proved futile due to the poor road conditions.
They also end up seeing wild donkeys along the route.
'The first driver that turned around talked to us to tell us that the road gets washed out the higher into the mountain you get, and we have to turn around since the path leads nowhere,' she said.
Ultimately, the family decided to call 911 to seek assistance. However, they were informed that the California Highway Patrol was currently dealing with the dust storm on I-15 and unavailable to help.
Then, the family reached out to a towing company, which dispatched trucks to aid them and the other stranded vehicles.
'The tow truck came around 5 p.m., so we were pretty much stuck there the entire afternoon,' Easler said.
'We had to leave the car in Vegas, and it got towed to the service center of a dealership.
'They said the rear, right tire was coming off, and the alignment was messed up too. Low-key a pretty expensive fix.
She told SFGate: I’ll stick to the road I know and double-check somewhere else if the route seems sketchy.”
After the incident, Google confirmed to The Post that an investigation into the matter was underway.
A spokesperson told the New York Post: 'During unpredictable conditions, we work as quickly as possible to update routing based on information from local authorities and sudden changes to driving patterns.
'We're investigating the issue that happened over the weekend and can confirm that we’re routing drivers through Interstate 15 since it’s been reopened.'
