A father of two from North Carolina died after following a GPS that led him to a bridge that had been washed away nearly a decade ago.
He died shortly after his daughter’s ninth birthday party, when his GPS led him to a bridge that had been destroyed in 2013.
Phil Paxson was driving home from his daughter’s birthday party in Hickory, North Carolina, on a “dark and rainy night.”
“He was following his GPS, which led him down a concrete road to a bridge that dropped off into a river,” Paxson’s mother-in-law, Linda McPhee Koenig, wrote.
“The bridge was destroyed 9 years ago and never repaired.”
According to Koeing, the bridge also lacked “barriers or warning signs to prevent the death of the 47-year-old fath
Paxson’s 2020 Jeep Gladiator was discovered upside-down and partially submerged in water the next day under the collapsed bridge, according to NBC affiliate WCNC.
Paxson’s wife stated that she and their two daughters left the birthday party earlier, while Paxson remained to assist with cleanup. He did not, however, return home that night.
According to the outlet, troopers claimed there were barricades and signage on the bridge, but they were apparently removed.
It is currently unknown who is responsible for the road with the washed-away bridge.
According to Queen City News, the North Carolina Highway Patrol stated that the road is not owned by the state or the county. The company that built the road went out of business several years ago.
A local property management company is negotiating with a legal team to see if their previous owner, who was the original developer, can be held liable.
er of two daughters.”
