A Saskatoon police officer on bike patrol received minor injuries after being struck by a vehicle whose driver was allegedly using a cellphone while behind the wheel.

Saskatoon police say the officer saw a man driving while using his phone on Thursday and tried to get the man's attention.

The officer pursued the vehicle on his bicycle for about a block and half before being hit when the vehicle made a right hand turn into an alley. The 34-year-old driver, whose name was not released, was issued one ticket for driving without due care and attention and another for using an electronic communications device while driving.

Legislation banning the use of hand-held cellphones while driving became law Jan. 1, 2010 in Saskatchewan. It prohibits drivers from using hand-held cellphones to talk, text, email or surf the Internet while driving.

Police spokesperson Kelsie Fraser said incidents like this aren’t common. “In talking with the inspector of the central division, who oversees this (bicycle) unit, this was the first accident involving a law enforcement officer that he’s heard of in Saskatoon,” she said.

There are 17 members on the Saskatoon Police Service’s bike unit. Members are specially trained, and have to pass a fitness test to make it onto the unit. Their trainers are local officers who are certified by the Law Enforcement Bicycle Association (LEBA), a governing body that’s been training bike officers since 1987.