Driver pulling loose tooth triggers massive jam on Alabama freeway

A truck driver distracted by yanking free his loose tooth veered off the road and caused a miles-long backup on an Alabama freeway, a local newspaper reported on Friday.

The unnamed 57-year-old trucker was driving on Interstate 20/59 near Tuscaloosa when the accident occurred late on Sunday, the Birmingham News reported.

"The driver stated he lost control when he was pulling a tooth with his hands," an Alabama Highway Patrol incident report said, according to the newspaper. "He had the tooth in his shirt pocket as proof."

After veering off the road, the truck went into a ditch before jackknifing into a stand of trees, the newspaper reported.

The accident caused no serious injuries but it triggered a complete shutdown of a three-mile stretch of the freeway and caused delays that lasted into the Monday morning rush hour, the newspaper reported.

Alabama Highway Patrol representatives did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.