Nearly two dozen cars left stranded after GPS sent them down rocky road in severe weather as drivers tried to swerve jam

GPS guided drivers down a perilous course in horrific weather, leaving them stuck on a snowy road.

After receiving a satellite SOS call from an iPhone, police discovered 20 automobiles trapped in the snow.

Following an alert last Wednesday, search and rescue personnel set out to locate an automobile that had become stuck in Union County, Oregon, around 270 miles east of Portland.

Authorities were aware that the car was stopped on a difficult road.

In a Facebook post, Union County Search and Rescue stated that “Ruckle Road is a rough and steep gravel road near Summerville in Union County, and it is not maintained for winter travel.”

At first, police thought there was only one car stuck, but while they were in there, they started getting SOS calls from the same location.

When an iPhone user becomes stranded without Wi-Fi or cellular data, they can use satellite to send rescue services an SOS message.

Approximately twenty vehicles were trapped or stopped on the road when first responders arrived at the wintry scene.

They discovered that all of the cars had followed GPS directions and traveled the perilous route in an effort to escape interstate traffic bottlenecks.

Rather, the alleged shortcut caused them to become trapped.

When SAR requested backup, the county’s Public Works team showed up with a road grader to clear a path for escape.

The cars managed to free themselves and return to the main route after a few hours.

Union County SAR stated that this incident is a crucial reminder of the necessity to carefully consider and frequently disregard GPS-provided directions, particularly during the winter.

The best routes in our area in the winter are the interstates and highways; if these are closed because of bad weather or accidents caused by bad weather, it is most likely foolish and extremely risky to try other routes.

According to the agency, drivers would have been forced to abandon their vehicles if the road grader hadn’t been there.

Images from the event show vehicles stranded in banks of snow and abandoned on the side of the road, their lights on.

Following the accident, all vehicles were back on the road and no one was hurt.

In the comments section of Union County SAR’s Facebook post, Facebook users cautioned about using less-traveled routes during severe weather.

“Oh my god! When the interstates and highways are closed, people should exercise common sense and refrain from taking other routes,” someone stated.

“You are not only putting yourself at risk but you re also putting our Search and Rescue crews at risk!!”

“Each year!” wrote another. Don’t drive on our roads if you don’t know them. Simply wait for the freeways and highways to reopen with patience.

‘THINK BEFORE YOU DRIVE’

A warning that read, “Reroutes aren’t always safe – think before you drive!” was also posted by the Oregon Department of Emergency Management.

“During storms, Google Maps and GPS systems can lead you into dangerous situations, rerouting you through closed roads, snowy mountain passes, or unsafe forest backroads,” added ODEM.

“They don’t always take road closures and bad weather into consideration.

“When you choose to ignore warnings or take risky detours, you’re not just putting your own life at risk – you could be endangering first responders who may have to come rescue you.”