At around 7:25PM in Tokushima, Japan, two women were hit while crossing the street. The driver admitted he was not watching the road because he was playing Pokemon GO. One of the women, 72-year old Sachiko Nakanishi, was transported to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead. The second woman, 60-year old Kayoko Igawa, remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
The driver, 39-year old Keiji Goou, was arrested and charged with reckless driving. NHK reports that Goou admitted to the charges. He is quoted as saying, “I was playing Pokémon Go while driving, so I didn’t really see what was in front of me.”
This is the first death attributed to Pokemon GO in Japan. Tokushima Prefectural Police are still investigating the circumstances of the accident.
According to the Sankei Shimbun, police have attributed 79 traffic incidents across 29 prefectures to Pokemon GO-related issues. Police also say that they have cited over 1,000 Pokemon Go players for traffic infractions in the month since the game was released there.
