A driver in Auburn, New York crashed into a tree on Tuesday night while playing hugely popular virtual-reality game Pokémon Go.

The driver was behind the wheel of his brother’s car when hunting the local streets for Pokémon to catch. Distracted, he ploughed head-on into a tree, totalling destroying the sedan and leaving it with a crumpled front end, broken windscreen and deployed airbags.

The brother of the driver has launched a GoFundMe campaign and on it, says he didn’t even know his 28-year-old sibling was driving his pride and joy until the news reports started filtering out.

“I spent a year fixing it and investing more money in it to make it roadworthy.  Then my brother wrapped it around a tree in hot pursuit of a pokemon.  I didn’t even know he was driving my car that night until I heard about the crash.  The scrap metal formerly known as car had no collision coverage.  Incredibly, my brother is alive and well, and I do dearly hope he will learn some harsh lessons about road safety,” he said.

In response to the crash, the Auburn Police Department warned that gamers need to remain aware of their surroundings and should never play the game while in control of a motor vehicle.

Via Jalopnik

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