Google Street View car flees police and plunges into river

Updated on: 03 August 2023

Paulina Okunytė
Journalist

A chase between a Google Street View car and Indiana Police ended in a river after the speeding vehicle refused to stop. The driver said that he worked for Google and was afraid.

“On July 31st, police in Indiana chased a speeding Google car which disobeyed an order to stop,” states a press release by Middletown Police Department. The car was traveling westbound on the US-36 highway and the speed of the vehicle was over 100 miles per hour.

The Google car sped dangerously past other vehicles and drove through a red light. The fleeing driver attempted to turn south just east of Pendleton, Indiana due to a bridge being closed. At that point, the vehicle lost control, cut through a yard, and ended up stuck in a river.

The driver, who was identified as Coleman Ferguson, was detained. He admitted working for Google and stated that he refused to stop out of fear.

The Middletown authorities received support from both the Pendleton Police Department and the Madison County Sheriff's Office at the scene. Additionally, units from the Madison County Fire and EMS arrived promptly to provide assistance.