Pokemon Go death : Road accident claims a woman’s life in Japan after car driver rams vehicle into two people while driving and playing
Though the Pokemon Go fad is passing away and its popularity is slowly taking a beating, it still has gamers hooked on to it and fatally. While there have been previous reports of Pokemon Go related accidents causing injury or death, for the first time in Japan, a woman was killed and another injured when a Pokemon Go player rammed his car into them.
The shocking accident happened in the city of Tokushima, where a 39-year-old man was playing the game while driving. He hit two pedestrians, killing one, and severely injuring the other. The woman that passed away was in her 70s and died due to spinal injury.
Nintendo and Niantic released Pokémon GO two months ago and it was an immediate hit with Android and iPhone users. The augmented reality game quickly jumped to the number one position on both Google Play and Apple Store amidst huge global reaction.
The Pokemon Go related deadly accident has shocked Japanese gaming community while the police have taken the driver of the vehicle into the custody. The car driver told the authorities that he was playing Pokémon GO while driving, and did not see the two pedestrians. After the incident, Niantic Inc., the developer of Pokémon GO, issued a statement saying:
“We express our deep condolences to the family and acquaintances. We are still looking into the details of the incident. We will take any necessary steps following the completion of an investigation.”
Ever since Pokemon Go was released, authorities from different countries have issued various warnings in an attempt to increase the safety of players. According to Bloomberg, Japan has put up signs in public areas asking people not to walk while using their smartphones in order to prevent game related injuries.
