Car driver was swiping on gadget before accident
Witness says driver kept starting and stopping, causing accident
Reports of road accidents have surfaced the world over since Pokemon Go was launched. The game became available in Singapore on Saturday, and an accident the next day in Queenstown has been linked to it.
Mr Amos Ng, an office clerk, was walking back to his Mei Ling Street homeafter work on Sunday night, trying to catch Pokemon Go characters along the way.
In the world's latest gaming craze, which was launched here on Saturday, players trawl places around the country using their smartphone's GPS system to spot and capture Pokemon.
At about 10.20pm, Mr Ng, 31, an office clerk, noticed a dark-coloured sedan around the Mei Ling Street area.
He said the car kept starting and stopping abruptly and was moving slowly.
He noticed a driver and two passengers in the car.
The driver and his front seat passenger looked to be in their 50s, while the woman in the backseat seemed to be in her 20s.
Mr Ng suspects that they, like him, were playing Pokemon Go.
He said: "I saw them taking out their electronic devices and making swiping actions (on their devices).
"I found it quite amusing at first."
He also saw the car driving near Queenstown Stadium, which is just a minute's drive from Mei Ling Street.
POKESTOP
The stadium is a PokeStop, which is a place of interest where players can collect items that will help them catch more Pokemon characters.
Mr Ng passed the car and continued on his way home.
Suddenly, he heard the screeching sound of a car braking followed by a loud crash.
He turned and saw that a white car had crashed into a kerb at the junction of Mei Chin Road and Mei Ling Street.
Mr Ng said: "I noticed that the driver of the dark car had seen the white car crash, but accelerated forward in the direction of Global Indian International School."
Mr Ng added about 30 people rushed down from nearby HDB blocks because of the commotion.
The owner of the white car, who wished to be known only as Mr Vasily, said he had tried to overtake the dark car, which was in front of him, because it was driving recklessly.
Mr Vasily, 26, said: "The man driving (the dark car) kept starting and stopping.
"I signalled right and attempted to overtake him, but he kept moving forward."
Mr Vasily then accelerated to move out of the way.
As he was trying to overtake the dark car, his car went out of control and crashed into a kerb. His car slammed into a road railing.
A fuming Mr Vasily, whose car had to be towed to a workshop, said: "I'm very, very angry (with the other driver)."
The Singapore Civil Defence Force sent an ambulance to the site, but its assistance was not required.
No injuries were reported.
Police investigations are ongoing.
A police spokesman said the penalty for playing Pokemon Go while driving a vehicle would be the same as driving while using a handheld device.
This means a fine not exceeding $1,000, jail time of up to six months or both.
"I saw them taking out their electronic devices and making swiping actions (on their devices). I found it quite amusing at first."
- Mr Amos Ng
Pokemon Go-related accidents
TAIWAN, AUG 6
A motorcyclist fell off his motorbike while playing Pokemon Go. He ended up with a fractured knee.
About 350 drivers have been fined in Taiwan for using their phones while on the road since the game was launched, authorities said.
MELBOURNE, JULY 28
A teen crashed his car into a school fence while playing the game.
ISRAEL, JULY 27
A girl, 15, fell off her bicycle while playing Pokemon Go and she suffered a cracked skull, reported Ynetnews.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now