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Woman Killed By Pokemon Go-Playing Driver, Police Say

It is believed to be Japan's first fatality tied to the popular mobile game.

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A woman has been killed in Japan after she was struck by a man who was playing Pokemon Go while driving, according to police. The driver hit two female pedestrians, killing one and seriously injuring the other, authorities in Tokushima said, according to The Japan Times.

The driver, a 39-year-old man, reportedly told police that he was playing Pokemon Go while driving. The National Police Agency said this is the country's first fatality related to the popular mobile game.

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According to reports cited by Kotaku, the woman who died was a 72-year-old. She was brought to a hospital, where she passed away. The woman who survived was 60 years old, according to the reports. As for the driver, he was reportedly arrested.

Before Pokemon Go's launch in Japan last month, the country's government released a flier that spelled out various warnings related to Pokemon Go.

Through in-game messaging, Pokemon Go itself warns players to be aware of their surroundings while playing the game. Pokemon Go encourages players to go out into the real world in search of Pokemon to catch, but playing behind the wheel is obviously a bad idea. A recent update introduced a prompt stressing that you should not play while driving a car.

Recently, two people walked off an oceanside cliff in California in search of Pokemon, while someone crashed their car into a tree after reportedly admitting to playing the game behind the wheel. Also, a man hit a parked police car because he was reportedly distracted by the game.

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