Two women pedestrians in Japan have been reported to be hit by a man who was playing Pokemon Go while driving. According to The Japan Times, the driver hit two females, killing one while seriously injuring the other as reported by the authorities in Tokushima.
Pokemon GO has become a global phenomenon since its limited release in the US.
The 39-year old driver confessed to the police that he was playing Pokemon Go while driving. This is country’s first fatality due to the popular mobile game.
Going by the reports cited by gaming portal Kotaku, the women who passed away was 72-year old. She was taken to a hospital, where she breathed her last. The woman who was accompanying her was 60-year old and is safe. The driver has been taken into police custody.
Japan’s government released a flier containing much caution on Pokemon Go right before its release last month. Not only this, even the creators of the game warned players to be cognizant of their surroundings. The game motivates players to go out in the real world to look for Pokemon, but playing while driving obviously proved to be a very bad attempt.
A recent update to the game released a prompt warning on not playing the game while driving. There have been reports of accidents caused by obsessed Pokemon Go fans around the world. With an estimated 30 million daily active users, Pokemon Go has become the latest global phenomenon.