After getting engrossed playing the hit game Pokémon Go, a driver in Japan accidentally hit a young boy. The incident occurred approximately around 4 pm local time, Wednesday, Oct. 26 in the city of Ichinomiya, Central Japan. The driver who was driving a truck was arrested by authorities after he admitted playing the game while behind the wheel.
The 9 year old boy who was still a fourth grader was crossing the street when he was suddenly hit by the truck. The victim who was rushed to the hospital was pronounced dead due to injuries two hours later. Not only did the truck driver admit to have been playing the game when he hit the victim, he also mentioned keeping the app open while driving, reported by Gamespot.
This accident further adds to the number of fatalities, injuries and damages that Pokémon Go has induced around the world. For drivers, running Pokémon Go while on the road significantly increases their chances of leveling on the GPS-based mobile game. However, developers have been working on ways to prevent people inside vehicles to play. This includes not registering the distance travelled when made at a high speed.
After the incident, Japanese authorities immediately released a statement on the dangers of using a smartphone while walking, riding and driving, reported by Polygon. They urge the public to stay safe emphasizing that a life lost will never be returned. The announcement comes in time for the Halloween season which Pokémon Go released a new event that drove their players back into the game.
The Pokémon Go Halloween event reportedly featured ghost type Pokémons and other additional content. As early as now, the company has already released a report that their game is again reaching its highest number of unique players. The statistics is based on a worldwide audience.
