911 centers struggle to find callers on cellphones, and results can be deadly

(FOX News) - Commercial apps, such as Facebook and Uber, can pinpoint your exact location using your smartphone's built-in GPS. But that's not necessarily the case when you call 911.

That's because most 911 centers determine a mobile caller's location based on technology that was adopted two decades ago -- before cellphones were equipped with GPS. So, instead of obtaining location information directly from the phone, the 911 center estimates the caller's location based on which cell tower is in use.

The problem is, the tower your phone pings may be miles away, or even in another jurisdiction.

Such was the case back in 2014, when newspaper deliverywoman Shanell Anderson called 911 after accidentally driving her SUV into a pond.

Read the full report at FOXNews.com.

Copyright 2017 FOX 11 Los Angeles: Download our mobile app for breaking news alerts or to watch FOX 11 News | Follow us on Facebook, Twitter , Instagram and YouTube. Be a citizen journalist for FOX 11 and get paid - download the Fresco News App today.