Texting has been partly blamed for causing a driver to veer off the road July 20 in Simi Valley, nearly striking a father and his 6-year-old son who were riding their bikes on the sidewalk.

According to Simi Police, 23-year-old Daniel Pierek was driving his 2003 Ford truck north on Wood Ranch Parkway last Tuesday around 2:48 p.m. when he lost control on a curve in the roadway.

The truck jumped the right curb and ran into a road sign before veering across all northbound lanes and into the raised center median, a police report said.

The truck went over the median, rolled over one time and then slid across the southbound lanes on its left side, narrowly missing a Simi Valley Public Works vehicle driven by a city employee.

The truck finally came to a stop on the sidewalk, just a few feet from a father and son who were riding their bicycles, police said. A piece of debris from the fast-moving truck struck the adult bicyclist, 39, causing a minor injury to his leg.

Pierek, who suffered only minor injuries, told officers that he had been distracted because he was texting on his cellphone and momentarily took his eyes off the road. After a field sobriety test, he was arrested and charged with driving while under the influence of a drug, a pharmaceutical that had been prescribed to him.

During the month of August, in preparation for the beginning of the school year, the police department says it will be stepping up its traffic enforcement with emphasis on cellphone and seat belt violations.