NH Police Say Man Crashed Into Cruiser While Looking At Cell Phone

NEW HAMPTON, NH (CBS) -- A New Hampshire man allegedly crashed into a State Police cruiser in the breakdown lane because he was looking at his phone while driving, according to State Police.

Police said that just before 10:30 a.m., a trooper arrived to assist another trooper with a car crash on Interstate 93 southbound in New Hampton. He was parked in the right hand side breakdown lane with his emergency lights flashing.

The trooper was in the process of retrieving some emergency gear from his rear seat, police said, when he heard the sound of screeching tires and saw a car heading right for him and his cruiser. Having only a second to react, the trooper jumped onto the cruiser running board as the car sped by, hitting the rear driver side door.

The car continued down the road for a short distance before stopping in the center median. The driver, 33-year-old Eric Jenness, Plymouth, New Hampshire, told troopers he had momentarily looked down at his cell phone, and when he looked back up he was heading for the cruiser and could not avoid crashing into to it.

Jenness was cited for using a cell phone while driving and not reacting properly to an emergency vehicle.