(COLORADO) — The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) is warning drivers about careless driving after a box truck sideswiped a CSP trooper’s unmarked vehicle.

According to CSP, around 7:10 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 31 a box truck traveling westbound on Meadows Parkway near Highway 85 in Castle Rock was in the center lane when the driver veered to the right and sideswiped a CSP trooper’s unmarked vehicle going to work.

CSP said both vehicles were estimated to be only going around 10 MPH at the time of impact, however, the trooper’s vehicle sustained moderate damage when the truck briefly hooked onto the car and then separated. Fortunately, both drivers were uninjured in the crash.

“In this case, the driver wasn’t paying attention to where he was headed. He was looking at his GPS because he was unfamiliar with the area and his truck moved into the adjacent lane. No road, weather, or other extenuating circumstance contributed to the crash,” said Sgt. Troy Kessler of CSP.

CSP made over 12,650 proactive traffic stops for lane violations in 2022. CSP said driving distracted has consistently been one of the top casual factors for serious injury and fatal crashes in Colorado in the last five years.

CSP reminds drivers that the primary position in normal circumstances is to drive in the center of the lane with equal amounts of space on both sides.

“We find a variety of reasons people fail to drive in their designated lane, but some of the most common are driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, driving aggressively, or being distracted behind the wheel,” said Sgt. Kessler.