Crash that killed driving teacher blamed on texting driver

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) – Police are blaming a distracted driver for a crash this month that killed a driving instructor on a central Indiana highway.

The Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Department says the Jan. 16 crash happened on U.S. 52 outside Lafayette when a pickup truck ran into a car with a 16-year-old student driver behind the wheel. The crash fatally injured 69-year-old Paul Foster.

A police report attributes the crash to the pickup driver texting on his cellphone just before hitting the car that was stopped to make a left turn.

Indiana All Star Driving School owner Kyle Meek tells The (Lafayette) Journal & Courier that the crash was senseless and wasn’t caused by the student driver.

No charges were immediately filed against the pickup driver.