Police: driver talking on the phone narrowly misses MWC officer (http://www.okcfox.com/story/25196689/police-driver-talking-on-the-phone-narrowly-misses-midwest-city-officer)

Please excuse the poor excuse of a website that is OKCFox.com Your video may not play in FireFox.


A close call for a Midwest City Police Officer. He was conducting a routine traffic stop when a woman crashed into his patrol car, missing him by just inches. The entire incident was caught on his dash cam.

Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said the officer was making a routine traffic stop in the 300 block of S. Air Depot around 9:00 AM last Thursday. Clabes said the officer had given the driver a verbal warning and was returning to his vehicle when suddenly a white Chevy Malibu came barreling toward him.

"He was about in the middle of the roadway between his car and the car in front of him when the Malibu struck the patrol car from behind," said Chief Clabes.

Chief Clabes says the woman was talking on her cell phone and never saw Officer Rummel. The crash totaled both her car and the police car. She and the driver of the vehicle that was pulled over went to the hospital with minor injuries. Officer Rummel was not injured.

"Luckily, he wasn't crushed between the two cars or killed," Chief Clabes said. "Law enforcement makes these kinds of stops every day, so they're in harm's way because people are not paying attention to what they're doing when they're driving."

The driver of the car was ticketed for distracted driving and is facing a nearly $300 fine.

Talking on a cell phone, totals own car and police car, only fined "nearly" $300.... you pay a lot more for less...

Many people want a law against texting. If a texting law is passed it become nothing but a tool for cash strapped towns like Stringtown and Kiowa. They will pad their ticket writing with cell phone related tickets. I can see many of them writing tickets just for having your phone in plain view.

The distracted driving law just needs to be given a few more teeth and a hefty fine. You should loose your license for 6 months to a year and pay $1000 fine anytime you cause an accident and your not paying full attention to the road.

If/When we do get a cell phone law, I hope it applies to the police too. It is rare for me to see a patrol car where the driver is not on a phone. And yes, we've had more than a couple of instances where Oklahoma police officers have gotten into a wreck because they were distracted by their phone or MDT.

It's funny that republican led oklahoma doesn't want a texting while driving ban because it equates to nanny state-ism. With that thinking we should do away with DUIs too.
Saw a video of an Oklahoma legislator who has been trying to get a law on the books, he said there were over 10,000 wrecks last year that involved people distracted by phones. Protecting the public doesn't equal nanny state.

We don't need a law against texting and driving as there already is is one, it's called DISTRACTED DRIVING! lol

Not only have I seen the police on their cell phone, they use their computers, don't wear seat belts, speed, don't use their turn signals; pretty much anything they can pull YOU over for, they will do themselves with no consequences.

I wish we did't need a law banning texting and driving. I wish drivers had the good sense not to text and drive. But in my experiences that is simply not the case. I see people texting and driving everyday. Something needs to be done. If not law enforcement then what?

I wish we did't need a law banning texting and driving. I wish drivers had the good sense not to text and drive. But in my experiences that is simply not the case. I see people texting and driving everyday. Something needs to be done. If not law enforcement then what?Stew, you can already get pulled over for texting and driving.

Stew, you can already get pulled over for texting and driving.

Sort of. From what I understand... they're only able to enforce that if it's affecting your driving. With a blanket anti-texting law, they could pull over and ticket anyone texting.

That being said, I'd love to see broader enforcement of the distracted driver law. 75% of the time I'm on the roads, I'm riding a motorcycle. The number of times someone moves into my lane and almost hits me is terrifying. And they're almost always on the phone, or messing with the radio, or lighting a cigarette, or something besides paying attention to the road.

Not sure if it's true or not, but a little birdy of a reasonable source said the "woman" driver was actually a MCHS teacher.

From what I hear, she has a checkered past. Makes you wonder.

I wish we did't need a law banning texting and driving. I wish drivers had the good sense not to text and drive. But in my experiences that is simply not the case. I see people texting and driving everyday. Something needs to be done. If not law enforcement then what?

You just described what is wrong with this country in a nut shell, far too many people are waiting for the government to tell them what they should or shouldn't be doing instead of figuring it our for themselves. If there isn't a law against texting and driving then must be okay.