Texting driver gets wet in crash

A young man took a quick swim Wednesday after accidentally driving into the Flathead River while he was texting on his cellphone.

According to Flathead County Undersheriff Dave Leib, the man drove his sport utility vehicle off River Road near Columbia Falls and straight into the river.

The driver made it out of the vehicle unharmed, but the vehicle sank to the bottom of the river.

“He was probably a little embarrassed,” Leib said. “He was fine, but the vehicle was totally submerged, so the dive team hooked it up to a tow truck and towed it out.”

The call initially came in at 12:48 p.m., and emergency responders cleared the scene about five hours later. Along with the Sheriff’s Office dive team, North Valley Search and Rescue and the Columbia Falls Fire Department responded.