“I WAS LOOKING DOWN AT MY PHONE. WHEN I LOOKED UP … THERE WAS A POLICE CAR.”

OPERATOR CITED AFTER REAR ENDING POLICE VEHICLE 

At about 1:20pm, on Thursday, June 17, 2010, officers from Area E-13 (Jamaica Plain) responded to a radio call for a motor vehicle accident in the area of 3313 Washington Street. On arrival, officers observed a white motor vehicle with severe front end damage. Officers further noted that the white car had struck the rear bumper area of a marked Boston Police pick-up truck. Officers observed the police vehicle to have major damage to the area in and around its rear bumper.  The police vehicle was legally parked and unoccupied when struck from behind. Officers spoke to the driver of the white motor vehicle who, when asked to explain what happened, stated, \”I was looking down at my phone. When I looked up .. there was a police car.\” 

An off-duty officer, who had been following the white car along Washington Street, pulled over and reported his observations to the officers on scene. The off-duty officer stated that he observed the driver looking down at his cellular phone on several occasions and it appeared that the driver may have been texting.  The off-duty officer was driving behind the suspect when the suspect swerved and struck the rear end of the parked police vehicle. 

The operator was issued a citation for: Impeded Operation (cell phone).