A Tuesday night crash sent two drivers to the hospital near the intersection of West 12th St and I-29 in Sioux Falls.

The crash on Tuesday, December 18 at 11:30 PM involved a Sioux Falls Police Department squad car that was rear-ended, injuring the officer inside.

Sergeant Martin Hoffman with the Sioux Falls Police department describes the findings of their initial investigation. "A 24-year-old resident was distracted while driving and struck the rear of an occupied squad car as it was stopped at a stop light facing west. Both drivers were transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries."

The driver was cited for careless driving and several other traffic violations. Police did not indicate what the driver was participating in that created the distraction.

Distracted driving is a nationwide concern. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration reports that during daylight hours, approximately 481,000 drivers are using cell phones while driving.

In 2016 3,450 people died as the result of a driver being distracted behind the wheel. Five seconds of taking your eyes off the road at 55 miles per hour is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field with your eyes closed.

 

 

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