[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/why-you-should-never-pokemon-behind-wheel\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/why-you-should-never-pokemon-behind-wheel\/","headline":"Common Sense Tip: Don\u2019t Pok\u00e9mon Behind the Wheel","name":"Common Sense Tip: Don\u2019t Pok\u00e9mon Behind the Wheel","description":"Forget drinking and driving. The government has a new type of impairment to think about plaguing the entire country. It\u2019s called Pok\u00e9mon. Well,\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon Go\u00a0to be more exact. The strange creatures are now a hit mobile game that has people of all ages stumbling around like zombies trying to \u201chunt\u201d the virtual cartoons, which make appearances...","datePublished":"2016-10-20","dateModified":"2024-05-22","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/author\/rizklaw\/#Person","name":"Rizk Law","url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/author\/rizklaw\/","identifier":9,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/10e23ce5e6c4dadb4589cd8edf2c3f59ac356a6e876c3656917777913d9c3bc1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/10e23ce5e6c4dadb4589cd8edf2c3f59ac356a6e876c3656917777913d9c3bc1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Rizk Law","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rizk-law-logo-footer.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/rizk-law-logo-footer.jpg","width":278,"height":65}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Richard-Rizk-headshot.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Richard-Rizk-headshot.jpg","width":383,"height":427},"url":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/why-you-should-never-pokemon-behind-wheel\/","about":["Auto Accident"],"wordCount":861,"articleBody":"Forget drinking and driving. The government has a new type of impairment to think about plaguing the entire country. It\u2019s called Pok\u00e9mon. Well,\u00a0Pok\u00e9mon Go\u00a0to be more exact. The strange creatures are now a hit mobile game that has people of all ages stumbling around like zombies trying to \u201chunt\u201d the virtual cartoons, which make appearances at various \u201cPok\u00e9stops\u201d based on GPS coordinates. As the popularity of the game increases with new and rare Pok\u00e9mon making appearances, so too do the number of accidents caused by people playing Pok\u00e9mon Go. An increasing number of these entirely preventable accidents are\u00a0car accidents.Pok\u00e9mon\u2019s Mobile GameThe insanely popular app was released just a few months ago on July 6, 2016. A few days later, data revealed that there are approximately 9.5 million players in America. Can you guess which state is the most active? A recent\u00a0survey\u00a0by Internet Service Partners has exposed Oregon as the most involved state, with Oregonians spending more time playing the game than players elsewhere.There are 151 Pok\u00e9mon in the Pok\u00e9mon Go universe, which is the original lineup from the early 90s when the franchise surged in popularity. It is no surprise then that 60% of players are between 18 and 24. Anybody who grew up with the original Pok\u00e9mon cast is fond of the Pok\u00e9mon universe, which sheds some light on why young adults pushing their thirties are so hooked on the game. There is a nostalgic quality about the game which makes it hard to break away, apparently even when doing so would be the responsible thing to do, such as when they are behind the wheel or sneaking around at night.Pok\u00e9mon Go Sparks Flurry of Baseless AccidentsJust 5 days after the game\u2019s release, Oregon and Washington police departments sent this message to Pok\u00e9-players:\u201cBe careful and pay attention to the law while trying to catch \u2018em all.\u201dAlmost immediately after the game\u2019s release people started shedding a few IQ points and getting hurt in the process. Reports cropped up of people trespassing to catch Pok\u00e9mon, as well as people finding dead bodies and using the game to\u00a0commit armed robberies.Tragically, a life was lost in Mariondale, NC when a teenager was shot and killed after trespassing onto private property while playing. In the first reported Pok\u00e9mon Go-related death, the fifteen-year-old and a friend who was sleeping over left the home at 1 am on a Sunday in search of a rare Pok\u00e9mon. The teenager triggered security lights around the property he was trespassing, he then walked into an enclosed section of the back porch. He next began checking windows around the house and attempting to open them as the creature appeared to be inside.Homeowner Ellen Jones, a 67-year old widow living by herself in the home armed herself with a pistol belonging to her deceased husband, called emergency services, panicked, and shot the teenager two times.\u00a0Both shots were a direct hit to the chest. The teen was taken to a nearby hospital where he died from the injuries sustained.In New York, a 28-year-old from Oregon sustained a leg injury when he crashed into a tree while playing Pok\u00e9mon Go in Auburn, NY near Syracuse. He had traveled cross country for his sister\u2019s wedding. The former Marine claims he is not one to use a phone when he is behind the wheel, despite the fact that he totaled his brother\u2019s car. \u201cMomentary lapse of reason\u201d was his direct answer to why he totaled his car seeking a Lapras, a rare Pok\u00e9mon in the game. You can read all about Steve Cary\u00a0right here.21-year old Michael Baker, another avid Pok\u00e9mon Go player and victim, was strolling through Forest Park at 1 am when he was\u00a0stabbed.\u00a0He had assumed the man who stabbed him was also playing the game, which is why he approached a complete stranger. In the game, players can \u201cchallenge\u201d each other to \u201cbattle\u201d and pit their Pok\u00e9mon against each other. After the stabbing, Baker did not seek emergency care as he instead wanted to keep capturing Pok\u00e9mon. \u201cRight after I was stabbed, I continued my mission to Plaid Pantry for my mission for chips and beer,\u201d he said. Baker continues to play the game and has his heart set on catching all 151 Pok\u00e9mon.Young men should especially use caution as seen by the evidence above, but anyone who must publicly engage while playing must be aware of their surroundings at all times. Distracted walkers and cyclists must always be on the alert. Pok\u00e9mon Go was intended to get sluggish kids off the couch and it can be a great way to meet and mingle with other people who share your interests. It can certainly be a lot of fun, but catching a Charizard is not worth your life.If you have been injured by a Pok\u00e9mon Go accident in greater Portland, Rizk Law is the local personal injury law firm you can count on. Call attorney Richard Rizk at\u00a0503.245.5677\u00a0for a free case evaluation."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Common Sense Tip: Don\u2019t Pok\u00e9mon Behind the Wheel","item":"https:\/\/www.rizklaw.com\/blog\/why-you-should-never-pokemon-behind-wheel\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]