I have the same problem on MacBook Pro running OSX 10.7.5 and Safari 6.1.6. Was opening and navigating Google Maps without problems and late last night Safari started crashing when opening Google Maps. I was attempting suggested fixes in Safari Preferences/Extensions when I found this thread and its unfortunate conclusion that we can now only open Google Maps in Firefox, which though inconvenient, works just fine.
As some suggest above, simply updating to the latest operating system is not always viable nor reasonable for all users -- particularly those whom employ perfectly functional peripherals and processing cards that have compatibility problems with newer versions of OSX -- particularly so with third-party media production peripherals and processors which are quite expensive.
Also, seems like the newer, "improved" versions of OSX since Lion/Mountain Lion have sacrificed features and flexibility for the end user -- herding us into a more IOS-like environment that doesn't necessarily serve the needs of more advanced users, particularly media producers.
So I'll accommodate the Firefox workaround and check back once in a while to see if either Apple (Safari) or Google Maps either release a patch or make some adjustment.
Interesting to note here that I'm using Firefox more and more these days because at this point, Mozilla/Firefox appears to be offering a better, more reliable and secure browser for OS X Lion users than Apple. Safari 6.1.6 has problems with more than a few websites that Firefox navigates flawlessly. At some point, I imagine we'll have to abandon Safari completely in favor of Firefox. Unfortunate, because Safari is fairly intuitive and easy to use.
