A Council Bluffs man who glanced down at his cell phone ended-up in a crash Saturday morning. According to Bluffs Police, 27-year old Ryan Wendt was traveling south on 25th Street at around 11-a.m., Saturday, when he became distracted by his cell phone. When he looked up, Wendt swerved to miss a vehicle in traffic and his vehicle hit a utility pole in the 1000 block of 25th Street. The pole was sheared-off, but still upright, with all the lines still intact.
Wendt initially refused medical treatment at the scene, but was later transported to a local hospital for precautionary reasons. Police cited him for failure to maintain control of his motor vehicle. Traffic flow in the area was rerouted for two hours while the utility pole was rendered safe by MidAmerican Energy.
Authorities remind you: Five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting or dialing on your phone. When traveling at 55mph, that’s enough time to cover the length of a football field blindfolded. Don’t be a distracted driver!