With the recent success of "Pokemon Go" at over 15 million downloads since its release less than a week ago, people are incredibly attracted to the addicting gameplay from Nintendo. However, just as cell phones caused potentially fatal accidents at their introduction and beyond, "Pokemon Go" is already causing problems just in its incomplete version. While playing "Pokemon Go," people have already...
1. Fallen Off A Cliff
Two men in Encinitas, California decided to hop a fence while out catching Pokemon. Instead of discovering Pokemon, the two found gravity when they both ended up tumbling down a cliff. One fell nearly a hundred feet while the other only fell half that distance. Both men were later recovered and brought to a hospital where they were treated for moderate injuries. The urge to catch em all trumps self-preservation every time.
2. Crashed Into A Tree
This is a given, as lots of people already drive around their neighborhoods and other areas increasing the speed in which they find Pokemon. Many users love to drive or walk around, especially at night as it allows them to play relatively undisturbed and (looking at you, Valor) lets them capture gyms while the owners are asleep. In Auburn, New York, a 28-year-old man had the same idea, but ended up slamming into a tree while looking at his screen. The man was alright, but had totaled his truck, requiring something a little stronger than a potion.
3. Gotten Hit By Cars
Autumn Deiseroth is a typical 15-year-old girl. She goes to school, hangs out with friends and as of last week, runs through traffic without looking to play "Pokemon Go." Citing that several Pokemon were located across the intersection where she lived, Deiseroth was struck by a car while paying attention to the screen. She survived, but police in several states have warned players about being aware of their surroundings.
4. Gotten Mugged
A disturbing trend emerging among communities with large amounts of "Pokemon Go" attractions is the luring and robbing of players. As aforementioned that many players prefer to go out at night, a common strategy is to drop a lure in an isolated location and mug players attempting to capitalize on the larger number of Pokemon. A particular case in Missouri found several teens robbing players at gunpoint and setting up beacons to ensure heavier traffic of lone trainers.
5. Found A Dead Body (Bodies)
In a bizarre reversal of the plot of “Stand By Me,” several players have randomly found dead bodies while playing. In Wyoming, Shayla Wiggins was searching for Pokemon in a river in her hometown. She instead caught a level 100 mental trauma after finding a dead body floating in the water underneath a bridge where she had been looking.
In San Diego, three women also came across a body found in the bushes of a local park while another man in New Hampshire also found a person floating in a river. This bizarre mix of law enforcement meeting "Pokemon Go" is certainly an unexpected side effect of making people go outside again.