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SALT LAKE CITY -- A car accident on 700 East and 550 South Friday morning is drawing attention to Utah's new texting and driving law.
The case could be one of the first, very public examples of the law, but at least one other has already been prosecuted, and the driver convicted and sent to jail.
Friday morning a woman was driving her car downtown when she veered while changing lanes. She hit a parked car and flipper her car, resulting in minor injuries. Police found a beer can in the car and are waiting for blood tests to come back to determine if she's was under the influence.
Meanwhile, they're also going through her cell phone. Witnesses say she was texting at the time of the accident, which could mean more trouble for her.
Back in May, a law banning texting and driving kicked into gear. The Salt Lake City prosecutor's office has already handled one case involving texting and driving, and won. It involved a woman driving on a suspended license.
Chief prosecutor Sim Gill said, "Given what the history of the person's prior criminal history, as well as texting, the judge ordered that person in jail for two days as a result of that prosecution."
Not all cases will result in jail time, but a first offense is a class C misdemeanor, and if you're caught texting again within three months, your license will be suspended. The penalties also increase for accidents caused by texting.
E-mail: sdallof@ksl.com
