Traffic near the Interstate 65 and Interstate 20/59 interchange in Alabama. On Sunday, January 25, 2015, a truck driver crashed his 18-wheeler while pulling a loose tooth from his mouth, causing closure of sections of I-20/59 for several hours. Photo by Jimmy Emerson/ CC/Flickr

TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Jan. 31 (UPI) -- An Alabama man flipped his tractor trailer after he took his hands from the wheel to pull a loose tooth from his mouth, causing a traffic jam and closure of parts of an interstate for hours, police say.

The man, a 57-year-old self-employed tractor trailer driver, lost control of his 18-wheeler on Sunday night near mile marker 79 on Interstate 20/59.


"The driver stated he lost control when he was pulling a tooth with his hands," an ALEA State Trooper report reads, according to AL.com. "He had the tooth in his shirt pocket as proof."

The truck jackknifed into trees after leaving the road and moving down a slope into a ditch. No serious injuries were reported.

The accident occurred at 10:30 p.m. and forced state troopers to close the eastbound section of the interstate between Tuscaloosa and Cottondale for several hours.

Drivers were sent on a detour off the highway, resulting in long delays and a traffic jam that lasted into the following morning, when one lane was opened to allow vehicles through the crash area.