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Teen's unplanned Pokestop into Vic school

A teen has crashed into a Melbourne school while playing Pokemon Go, with police reminding people not to play the game while behind the wheel.

A teenager made an unplanned Pokestop when his car crashed into a Melbourne school.

The teen was trying to capture a digital creature from the Pokemon Go mobile phone app when he lost control of his car while negotiating a roundabout.

The car then crashed through a fence and into a school portable building at St Francis Xavier's Berwick campus at 6.50pm on Thursday.

The 19-year-old did not level up nor collect any stardust or candies - only debris from the crash.

Police say he will likely be charged in relation to careless driving.

"Any Pokeballs, eggs or potions the driver may have had remaining only attracted police," Victoria Police spokeswoman Julie-Anne Newman said.

Luckily the school was closed and no one was injured, but police have been berated online for making light of the situation.

Police previously warned catching a Pikachu while driving could earn you a $466 fine and four demerit points.

Thursday's crash comes just days after VicRoads introduced almost 40 flashing road signs warning drivers "Don't drive and Pokemon" across Melbourne.

The signs went viral over social media - with many drivers heeding the message to take a break from the game, instead snapping a picture and posting it online.

Lawyers are also warning budding Pokemon trainers that playing the game is not a good excuse for those who end up on the wrong side of the law.

"It's easy for people to be consumed by the excitement of new technology, but keep in mind that 'I spotted a rare Pokemon' is unlikely to be a lawful defence if you get into trouble in the real world," Slater and Gordon lawyer Emma Aldersea said on Friday.

The Insurance Council of Australia has also warned that car insurance could be compromised if an accident is caused by using vehicles to chase down the fictional monsters.

The game has been downloaded more than 50 million times from the Google Play store and is top of the Australian charts for free iOS apps.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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