Nintendo’s new virtual reality smartphone game Pokémon Go has taken the Internet by storm, with people running around cities trying to catch more than 100 species of Pokemon. But now, the popular game has Edmonton police out with a warning.
“Please do not look for Pokemon while driving,” Edmonton police tweeted Wednesday morning. “If you’ve gotta catch ’em all, do so safely.”
“It poses a serious risk both to themselves, the general public and anybody who is in the area. It’s a serious risk and it’s something that we would hope doesn’t get any worse than it has already,” Cst. Pierre Lemire with the Edmonton Police Service added.
The Pokémon franchise hit in the late 1990s, the goal being to find and capture the cartoon creatures, which can be upgraded and pitted against each other.
READ MORE: Here’s how Canadians are playing ‘Pokémon Go’
Pokémon Go uses the gamer’s smartphone camera to chase the creatures in their own world. The game has led to reports of injuries from those who are too focused on the game to watch where they’re going.
WATCH: The Baltimore Police Department released video of a car crash that was the result of the driver being distracted while playing Pokemon Go.
Ben Stahlke has been playing around Edmonton and admits he’s had a close call.
“We were crossing the road and all the cars stopped except for one lane. I’m on the my phone. Luckily he was paying attention, and a car zoomed by. It was pretty close but I’m alive,” he said with a laugh.
“I’m paying attention a bit more now.”
Watch below: How Canadians are playing Pokemon Go
A 19-year-old Wyoming woman said she found a dead body floating in a river while she was “trying to get a Pokémon from a natural water resource,” KTVQ reported
READ MORE: Pokemon Go users find everything from dates to dead bodies
On Wednesday, Auschwitz banned visitors from playing the game at the former German death camp, calling it “disrespectful on many levels.”
The game hasn’t officially been released in Canada yet, although gamers are finding ways to download the app.
Watch below: Pokemon Go video game craze could carry health benefits
With files from The Canadian Press and Nicole Bogart, Global News.
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