The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said the 25-year-old motorist nearly struck the Cass County deputy's squad car when he drifted into oncoming traffic lanes while traveling at speeds of about 80 miles per hour on Highway 371, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported Tuesday.

The deputy said the motorist drove off at speeds approaching 100 mph before he was pulled over. The driver allegedly told the deputy he was distracted from the road because he was text-messaging behind the wheel -- a practice that had been outlawed by a state provision that took effect two days prior to the incident.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving.

"This is the kind of traffic event where almost everything that could go wrong, did go wrong," said Nathan Bowie, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety. "Fortunately, the officer was there to make the stop before anything else happened."