Driver says he was texting when he hit Boise police car late Saturday

A Nampa man who collided with a Boise police patrol car on Interstate 84 Saturday night admitted that he was texting just before the crash, according to Lynn Hightower, Boise police spokeswoman.

The patrol car with emergency lights flashing was parked with its tail slightly in the right westbound lane because of a DUI traffic stop, Idaho State Police said. The Boise officer was not inside when the car was struck and damaged badly.

Joshua Benney, 37, of Nampa, the driver who hit the patrol car, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries, ISP said.

"Police officers know working on our roadways is dangerous, but they do it to keep the roads safe for the rest of us, like in this case, (the officer was) arresting a drunk driver," said Capt. Randy Roper, Boise Police Department. "We just can't stress enough, pay attention to the roadway and watch for emergency lights, when you see them, slow down or move over. Your safety and an officer's life may depend on it."

Here's what led up to the accident, Hightower said. At 10:10 p.m. Saturday, three Boise patrol cars were parked on the right side of westbound Interstate 84 west of Eagle Road as the officers assisted in the arrest of a DUI driver. After one officer left to take the DUI driver to the Ada County Jail, the two other officers waited on the interstate for a tow truck to take away the driver's car.

Both officers were out of their cars that had emergency lights flashing, when a white Chevy Corsica rear-ended the first patrol car. Neither officer was hurt and no other cars were damaged. The driver of the Corsica, a 37-year-old man from Nampa, was taken to the hospital with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries, Hightower said. A preliminary investigation shows the Corsica driver also had a blood alcohol level, but it did not test over the legal limit, she said.

More police officers are killed in traffic collisions than any other type of incident, Hightower said.

Officers remind drivers that Idaho has a "Move Over" law, which requires motorists to slow down, or if possible, change lanes to the left when approaching parked emergency vehicles. The law is meant to protect police officers and other emergency responders while working on Idaho highways.

They also said Saturday's collision is a reminder to motorists not to drive distracted, including not texting while driving.

Idaho State Police is investigating the collision. Benney may be cited for reckless driving.