Indian entrepreneur Kuldeep Dhankar, founder of Last9.io, recounted a frightening experience when his car was rear-ended on the I-5 highway in the US Dhankar shared the ordeal on X, praising the swift actions of his Apple Watch and local authorities.
“Got rear-ended in standstill traffic on the I-5. The car behind is likely a total loss, but we’re safe,” he wrote. Dhankar credited Apple Watch’s crash detection feature for automatically contacting 911, ensuring police arrived within minutes. The California Highway Patrol’s quick response enabled Dhankar and his companions to resume their journey within half an hour.
In stark contrast, a tragic accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly district claimed three lives. Following GPS directions, the victims’ car drove onto an under-construction bridge and plunged 50 feet into the Ramganga River. The victims, identified as Amit, Vivek, and an unknown third individual, were traveling from Gurugram to Bareilly for a wedding when the accident occurred.
Got rear ended by a car while we were at standstill in traffic, on the I-5 yesterday. the car behind was probably a total loss. (we are perfectly safe)
Apple watch detected that we were in a crash and auto called 911 and there was an officer on the scene with in minutes. we… pic.twitter.com/MpozBcwUTQ
— kuldeep (@ku1deep) December 2, 2024
Local residents discovered the wreckage the next morning, but all three passengers were already dead. Authorities confirmed the vehicle was likely a hired taxi and have sent the bodies for post-mortem examinations.
While Dhankar’s experience underscores the life-saving potential of modern tech, the Bareilly tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the risks of blindly following navigation systems.
