'Pokemon Go' behind second fatal traffic accident in Japan, Kyodo reports
A second deadly vehicle accident in Japan has been blamed on "Pokemon Go," Kyodo news agency has reported.
The first death was reported on Tuesday , when police said that a man playing the augmented-reality game while driving a small van had hit two pedestrians in Tokushima, killing one, a 72-year-old woman.
The second incident involving "Pokemon Go" happened in Aichi, Kyodo reported, where the victim was a Vietnamese woman in her 20s.
According to Kyodo, the woman died on Thursday, just over two weeks after being hit by a car while she was riding a bicycle. The driver told police that he was looking away from the road when he hit the woman because he was trying to charge his mobile phone battery, which was almost dead because he had been playing "Pokemon Go," the news agency reported.
Kyodo cited National Police Agency figures that showed as of Tuesday there had been 79 bike and car accidents linked to the popular smartphone game since it was released in Japan on July 22.
"Pokemon Go," which is part-owned by venerable Japanese gaming company Nintendo (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 7974.T-JP), sparked a global trend when it was first launched on July 6, with fans swarming public areas in order to catch elusive Pokemon. It also led to numerous reports of Pokemon Go-related accidents and crimes.
The Pokemon Company has repeatedly warned players to be aware of their surroundings while using the app and to play accompanied when seeking Pokemon in new or unfamiliar places.