Motorists who text can have problems when driving used cars in New York

A tow-truck driver recently found out the hard way that using cell phones while driving can leave one all wet, and drivers of used cars in New York and other states may want to use his experience as a lesson.

Niagara County Sheriff’s deputies said that the 25-year-old driver was reportedly using two cell phones, one to make a call and one for texting, when he collided with another vehicle before continuing through a fence and into a swimming pool, according to the Associated Press.

Police said that the occupants of the car that collided with the truck were in good condition with minor injuries, and that the tow-truck driver was cited for several offenses, including using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle, the wire service reported.

Although it is against the law in several states, drivers still operate cell phones and increase their risk for causing an accident more than 20 times the rate if they weren’t texting, notes a Virginia Tech Study.

“Texting while driving kills,” said NY attorney Steven J. Schwartzapfel. “Thousands of lives are being irreparably damaged every year as a result of driving distractions and texting is just one more deadly distraction.”