'Pokemon Go' problems: Motorist playing Pokemon Go while driving hits 2 elderly women, first fatality case reported in Japan

"Pokemon Go" was officially launched in Japan late in July, but so far there are almost 80 reported cases of accidents caused by the augmented reality game in the country. Unfortunately, the first fatality was reported this week when a motorist playing "Pokemon Go" accidentally hit an elderly woman.

On Tuesday, police in Tokushima city arrested Keiji Gooh after the car he was driving struck two elderly women while he was focused on playing the popular game. One of the victims, aged 60, suffered serious injuries while the other woman, 72, died at the scene.

Gooh, a 38-year-old farmer, admitted to local authorities that he was indeed playing "Pokemon Go" while he drove his small truck, Telegraph reported.

According to Japan's National Police Agency, the said incident was the 79th Pokemon Go-related accident in the country since the game arrived last month. More than 1000 individuals have also been given citations for playing the game in dangerous situations, including people catching Pokemon monsters while driving any type of vehicle or riding bikes, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Prior to the game's launch in Japan, the Japanese government already issued a set of warnings for the public to prevent such accidents. As noted by Kotaku, the warnings were indicated in a one-page pamphlet advising Pokemon trainers to avoid dangerous places and bring a spare charger while traveling. In other countries, several tourist sites, religious locations, and stations have already banned the app's usage. Major cities in Japan also warned against the practice of "aruki smaho," which means walking while intently looking at a smartphone.

For the uninitiated, the free smartphone app was released in Japan on July 22. However, the characters have been popular since they debuted in software for Nintendo's famed Game Boy console.