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Japan records 1st Pokemon Go-related death

A truck driver killed a woman and seriously injured another after hitting them because he was playing Pokemon Go on Tuesday
A truck driver killed a woman and seriously injured another after hitting them because he was playing Pokemon Go on Tuesday

TOKUSHIMA (TR) – Tokushima Prefectural Police on Wednesday arrested a male truck driver in Tokushima City after one woman was killed and another seriously injured due to an accident caused by his playing of the popular game Pokemon Go while he was behind the wheel.

Keiji Goou, 39, was arrested on reckless driving charges for allegedly hitting two women while playing Pokemon Go on a road in the Katanokamicho area at around 7:25 p.m. on Tuesday, Jiji Press reports (Aug. 24). One woman died in the incident while the other was seriously injured.

Goou has admitted to the charges, telling police, according to the Tokyo Broadcasting, he “wasn’t looking ahead properly because I was playing Pokemon Go.”

Police named the woman who died as Yukiko Nakanishi, 72, a hairdresser from Kitayama City.

The other victim, 60-year-old Kayoko Igawa, was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Nakanishi and Igawa were crossing the road when they were struck by Gou’s truck.

Police are still investigating the circumstances of the case, which they say is Japan’s first traffic death caused by Pokemon Go.

There were 79 Pokemon Go-related traffic incidents across 29 prefectures in a one-month period since July 22, the Sankei Shimbun quoted police as saying.

Police said officers have cited more than 1,000 Pokemon Go players for traffic infractions since the game was launched one month ago.