COLUMBUS — A two-car crash at Seventh Street and Central Avenue in Columbus Thursday occurred after police said they received multiple reports of one of the vehicles driving erratically.

Tyler D. Colglazier, 26, Nashville, admitted to police that he had been texting while driving before the accident but that the crash occurred because the sun was in his eyes, police said.

Colglazier, who was driving northbound on Central Avenue, disregarded a stop light and collided with a car being driven eastbound on Seventh Street by Mary Young, 70, Columbus. No one was injured.

Police cited Colglazier for disregarding the stop light, but they said they could not cite him for texting while driving because of the way state law is written.

The law prohibits typing, sending or reading text and email messages while driving but does not allow police officers to confiscate cellphones to determine whether a driver is complying with the law.

Lt. Matt Myers, spokesman for the Columbus Police Department, said the law is hard for police to enforce unless an officer witnesses a driver in the act of texting while driving.

Police received multiple reports around 10:30 a.m. Thursday about a car being driven erratically on State Road 46, which led officers to believe the driver might be intoxicated.

Columbus Police Patrolman Toby Combest, who was off duty at the time, was leaving the Bartholomew County Courthouse and heard the dispatches.

He saw the car on Second Street but was unable to catch up to it before the accident because of heavy traffic, Myers said.

Patrolman John Thompson is investigating the accident and was assisted by Sgt. Matt Harris and Lt. Alan Trisler.

Myers said the officers believe Colglazier’s texting played a role in his driving behavior, which led to the multiple reports.

-- Chris Schilling, The Republic