Truck Driver Strikes and Kills Pedestrian in Japan While Playing Pokémon Go

A motorist in Japan reportedly hit and killed a woman while playing Pokémon Go.

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A distracted motorist struck two pedestrians in the Japanese city of Tokushima Tuesday evening, killing one woman and severely inuring another. The driver of a small truck admitted to local authorities that he wasn't paying attention to the road because he was deep in a round of Pokémon Go, Kotakureports.

Keiji Goh, 39, hit Sachiko Nakanishi and Kayoko Igawa as they were crossing the street. Citing a report from ANN, Kotaku confirms that Nakanishi, 72, was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Igawa, 60, is said to have suffered "serious injuries" during the collision. "I was playing Pokémon Go while driving, so I didn't really see what was in front of me," Goh told police.

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CNNcites the death as Japan's first related to the rise of the wildly popular augmented reality game, though the tragic occurrence doesn't mark the first perilous encounter involving players. Elsewhere in the world, players have made headlines by inadvertently finding themselves in violent or otherwise dangerous situations.

For example, two Pokémon Go players in San Diego's North County walked their way off a cliff in July. "Encinitas Fire and Marine Safety often respond to cliff rescues and bluff failures," Fire Marshal Anita Pupping said in a press release at the time. "Stay clear of all bluffs, overhangs, and cliffs." The two players were treated at a nearby hospital for "moderate" injuries and released shortly after.

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A note on the game's official website to those hoping to catch 'em all recommends "for safety's sake" that no one attempt to use Pokémon Go while operating any sort of vehicle. "Never play Pokémon Go when you're on your bike, driving a car, riding a hoverboard, or anything else where you should be paying attention, and of course never wander way from your parents or your group to catch a Pokémon," the game's makers urge.

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