Man charged with using cellphone before fatal US 52 crash

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - A central Indiana man has been charged with a traffic infraction for allegedly texting on his cellphone before a crash that killed a driving instructor.

The Journal & Courier reports (http://on.jconline.com/1Tk8PB5 ) 24-year-old Nicholas S. Salem of Michigantown faces a charge of using a telecommunications device while driving.

The Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Department says the Jan. 16 crash when Salem's pickup rear-ended a car with a 16-year-old student driver. The student, who suffered a concussion, told deputies he had a turn signal on and was slowing in the left lane of U.S. 52 to make a turn when the truck hit the car.

The crash fatally injured 69-year-old instructor Paul Foster of Indiana All Star Driving School.

Salem's home telephone range busy Monday and he could not be reached for comment.

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Information from: Journal and Courier, http://www.jconline.com