AUBURN, N.Y. -- Steven Cary is not one to use a phone when he's behind the wheel.

He says he just doesn't use his phone or check texts while driving, noting he recently drove cross-country without ever looking at his phone while driving.

But when he was on the hunt for an elusive Pokemon Go, Cary abandoned his usual caution.

Cary, 28, who lives in Oregon, was driving Tuesday night in Auburn while playing Pokemon Go. He looked down at his phone to check the app and crashed into a tree -- breaking his ankle and totaling his brother's car.

"Momentary lapse of reason," Cary said, reflecting on the crash in an interview with Syracuse.com on Thursday. "I can't blame the game for my own stupid move."

Cary discussed the accident while sitting on couch in his mother's Auburn home -- a knee-high cast on his right leg and a 2-inch string of stitches on his right elbow. He and his family decided to share his story for one reason: to raise awareness about the dangers of distracted driving.

Cary, a former Marine, said he is currently studying to work as an emergency responder who handles hazardous materials. He recently drove back to Central New York for his sister's wedding.

When the Pokemon Go app was unveiled, Cary -- just like people around the world -- was excited to play.

Cary, who grew up in Canandaigua, said he spent part of his elementary school years playing Pokemon on his Game Boy and watching the TV show.

As an adult, he has enjoyed played Ingress -- a GPS-based game created by the same company that made Pokemon Go. He downloaded the game while visiting Auburn, using Pokemon Go as a way to get to know the city where his mother lives.

Tricia Cary, Steven Cary's mother, noticed her son's fascination with the game last weekend during a road trip.

Along with stopping to catch a Pokemon that was lurking near the front of a restaurant, Tricia Cary said her son spent much of his time in the passenger seat of her car playing the game.

Worried about the addictive nature of the game, Tricia Cary said she warned her son not to play while driving.

"I did think there would be accidents,"she said. "I did not think it would be my son."

Steven Cary spent time Tuesday night playing the game by Owasco Lake. The silhouette of Lapras -- a Pokemon he had long coveted -- popped up on his map, and he said he wanted to catch the character.

After a walk near the lake proved fruitless, he got back into the car and headed away from the lake. As he was driving near 144 Owasco St., he said he looked down at his phone to see if the Lapras had appeared.

That's when the car collided with a tree.

"I remember suddenly there were some airbags in my lap," he said.

The engine of his younger brother's car was in the front passenger's seat. The front end of the car crumpled around the tree, and the windshield was covered in web-like cracks.

With his glasses gone, Cary said he couldn't see much of the person who called for help. He said he was trying to pull himself out of the car when he realized his right leg was stuck.

Eventually, he said he got both of his feet free from the car. He was rushed to Auburn Community Hospital, where he was treated for a broken ankle and cuts.

After the accident, Steven Cary said the Auburn Police Department ticketed him for using a mobile device while driving and failing to remain in a lane.

Tricia Cary said the call about the crash came in the middle of the night, leaving her terrified. She calmed down when she realized her son was awake and speaking.

When she saw the wrecked car, she realized how lucky her son was to be alive.

The Cary family has read stories about the crash posted around the world -- including in India and Japan.

Steven Cary, who hasn't had much time to look at all the stories because he's recovering from his injuries, is not exactly thrilled about his sudden fame, but is taking it in stride.

"That's not how I saw myself being in the paper," he said.

Cary said he feels bad about ruining his brother's car.

Tricia Cary posted photos of the totaled car on Facebook. In a post that was shared hundreds of times, she urged others to avoid distractions while driving.

"It's a message that needs to be seen right now," she said. "People are texting, checking their makeup, eating their lunch. All these things that people do while driving give you a similar level of distraction."

Steven Cary urged drivers to put their phones away -- even if that means letting a rare Pokemon go.

"Don't do it,'" he said. "If you have friends who play the game, treat it like drunk driving -- have a designated driver."

But did Steven Cary ever catch the elusive Lapras?

"I'm afraid I did not," he said, grinning slightly. "It's still roaming free."