Story Archive

Shortcut II

A crash on the 10-mile-long approach road to Colorado’s Denver International Airport had drivers struggling to find a shortcut. “Google Maps asked us to take the Tower exit, so I did because it was supposed to be half the time,” says Connie Monsees, who was heading in to pick up her husband, who had already landed. When the road turned to dirt, “My thought was, ‘Well there are all these other cars in front of me so it must be OK’,” she said, “so I just continued.” The road was narrow, then turned to mud — and the cars in front of her started to slide. “That’s when I thought, ‘Oh, this was a bad decision’.” When one car got stuck, about 100 cars were unable to continue. “There was no turning back once you were out there,” Monsees said, since going off the road looked even worse. Unlike most of the others, Monsees had all-wheel drive, and was able to plow through, picking up a few others desperate to catch their flights. When contacted, a Google spokesman suggested drivers “follow local laws, stay attentive, and use their best judgment while driving.” (RC/KMGH Denver, CNN) ...There’s always a catch.