A driver in the first vehicle fatality in Japan linked to playing the popular smartphone game ‘Pokemon Go’ was sentenced yesterday to 14 months in prison.
Keiji Goo, a 39-year-old farmer, was convicted of negligence resulting in death and injury, reports The Japan Times.
While he was playing the game, his van fatally struck a 72-year-old woman and seriously injured another woman when the two crossed a road in the city of Tokushima on August 23, reports The Japan Times.
Relatives of the victims allegedly cried from the gallery while Goo listened to the ruling in the Tokushima District Court.
Goo’s defence team says he is not planning to appeal the ruling.
Presiding judge Tomoya Arai said Goo’s negligence was grave as he failed to notice the victims on a straight road, reports The Japan Times.
Since the incident involving Goo, there have been two other fatal car accidents caused by drivers playing the game in Japan, according to the National Police Agency.
The smartphone game was released in Japan on July 22.
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