Plot Twist in Pokémon GO Crash: Woman Posing as Driver's Mom Charged

COVENTRY, RI—A local woman who reportedly felt bad for the Cranston woman who drove off the road while playing Pokémon GO on Wednesday and pretended to be her mom is now facing obstruction of justice charges.

In an unusual development, Coventry police said Thursday that they arrested Patty Leone, 53, of Coventry, for lying to police when she claimed to be the mother of the woman who drove into a ditch on Washington Street and waited hours to report it.

The driver, Cassandra Tierney, 24, of Cranston, told police that she was playing Pokémon GO while speeding and lost control and is facing a new obstruction of justice charge on top of charges of texting while driving and speeding filed against her on Wednesday.

It all began at around Midnight on Wednesday when Tierney ran into the ditch while playing the game on her phone, police said.

She then left the scene and came back later in the morning. Police then got a call at around 10:56 a.m. by a woman who said her car was disabled and needed a tow. While on the phone, the woman, who police now say was Leone, "claimed that she was the operator of the motor vehicle, but then claimed she was the operator's mother," said Coventry Police Chief Col. John MacDonald.

"Both of which were later found to be untrue," MacDonald said.

Responding officers realized that the car was not disabled, but instead, had crashed into the woods. That was when Tierney admitted playing the game and had lied about when the accident actually occurred.

On Thursday, investigating officers called the original reporting party, Leone, who admitted she lied and wasn't Tierney's mother.

"She was in fact a nearby resident and had made up the story because she felt bad for Tierney whom she had never met," the chief said.

Both women were charged and released with a future court date in Kent County District Court.