Pokemon GO Turns Violent: Are These the First Pokecrashes?

Police in Auburn, New York, release jarring image of vehicle driven by motorist who became distracted while playing popular game

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It’s now official: Pokemon GO has done some serious vehicular damage.

In what may be the first verified automobile crash resulting from DWP (Driving While Poke-ing), police in Auburn, New York, reported that a driver wrecked his car while playing the wildly popular game, which was released last week.

According to the department, police responded to a car accident Tuesday night shortly before 11 p.m.

The driver admitted to police that he crashed into a tree when he became distracted while playing Pokemon GO. (See photo of the crash below.)

“Luckily the driver was not seriously injured, but this is an example of how easily accidents can occur when someone is engaged in the game and not paying attention,” police said, adding that the investigation into the accident is ongoing.

Meanwhile, KBTX reports that another Pokemon GO-related crash occurred on campus at Texas A&M.

According to university police, an illegally parked car was struck from behind after the driver of the parked car left his vehicle to catch a Pokemon.

A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told TheWrap on Wednesday that, because of the newness of Pokemon GO, there is no current data on how many infractions or accidents may have occurred because of the game as of yet.

However, he cautioned, playing while driving is an infraction, with fines ranging from $20 to $50.

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