Distracted by toothache, driver rolls semi truck on Kansas Turnpike

A semi driver said he was distracted by a toothache before his truck wrecked on the Kansas Turnpike early Friday.

The 49-year-old driver from Olathe was not injured, according to the Kansas Turnpike Authority.

The wreck occurred about 12:45 a.m. Friday in the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 in Shawnee County, according to the authority’s report.

When questioned about what happened, the driver said he was distracted by the toothache and when he rested his chin on his hand, the truck began to drift off of the highway.

He tried to steer back onto the roadway, but saw that he was going to hit the retaining wall. The driver then tried to steer the other direction and the truck ended up rolling on its side, blocking all three westbound lanes of the highway.

The driver was using a seat belt, according to the report.

This story was originally published November 23, 2018 at 10:28 AM.