Google has been mapping out the world’s roads for drivers to enjoy everywhere for years now. However, not too many people have seen the elusive Google Street View cars that roam the streets — state of the art tech and all — collecting the data we have all come to rely on.
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Yet in the busy streets of Bogor, Indonesia people not only saw a Google Street View car (perhaps many for the first time) but they were treated to a show of comical proportions. As the BBC reports, the Google car (a Subaru), crashed into not one, but two minibuses – and a parked car for kicks.
The Google driver appeared to be doing the right thing after he hit the first bus as he went with the local driver to a nearby repair shop.
The Next Web states that it was at this point that the Google driver then fled the scene, “apparently concerned at the prospect” of a bill to the value of around US$17.50 for the damage, and an angry driver to boot.
Upon fleeing, the Street Car got a couple of miles away before crashing into yet another minibus. The driver was not done there though, and hit a third, parked, vehicle (a truck according to the BBC).
Google’s head of communications in Indonesia, Vishnu Mahmud, said that, “we [Google] take incidents like this very seriously. We’re working closely with local authorities to address the situation.”
A bystander posted pictures of the accident(s) to an Indonesian website that show that the front of the Google car took most of the damage with its bumper and windscreen bearing the brunt of it.
Google has had a few incidences before with its Street View cars, such as an accusation that one had a hit-and-run with a donkey in Botswana in January this year. Although an official blog post from Google later confirmed that the donkey was alive and well.
