Drivers say detour stranded them in Nevada desert during F1 weekend
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – A trip leaving Las Vegas turned treacherous during Formula One weekend when a Los Angeles woman said Google Maps took them on a detour into the middle of the desert.
“The car is like jumping up and down,” Shelby Easler recalled. “I’m like, ‘where are we going?”‘
Easler told 8 News Now she was in Southern Nevada to watch F1 just over a week ago, when her family was stopped by a massive dust storm that closed Interstate 15 at Primm on November 19.
“It said suggested alternate detour, save 50 minutes,” Easler recalled, speaking about Google Maps, “So, we’re like great.”
However, that detour she said the navigational app suggested became anything but great, when they joined dozens of others stranded in the desert near Sandy Valley, Nevada.
“You can’t really turn around,” Easler explained, describing the situation. “Because there’s like walls of dirt and whatever rocks on either side of us.”
After about two hours, Easler said they were able to turn around to safely get back to the interstate, but she said Google Maps was still telling them to keep going.
8 News Now reached out to Google about the mishap and received this statement from a company spokesperson.
“We apologize for the incident that happened last weekend and can confirm that we’ll no longer route drivers traveling between Las Vegas and Barstow down those roads. Today, drivers making that trip are being routed through Interstate 15, which has been reopened.”
“I can’t imagine how much damage this has done,” Easler said of the ordeal. “For everyone that has been involved.”
She said that damage forced her family to tow their car back to Las Vegas to get $5,000 worth of repairs. She then booked a flight back to Los Angeles, which arrived the following day.
Regardless of the stress and emotional strain, Easler told 8 News Now she’s just glad everyone is okay.
“Glad we got home safely,” she concluded.
Easler told 8 News Now this was her family’s first time driving to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, which added to the confusion about the suggested detour.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
