MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MISSOURI — A semi-truck driver was arrested on suspicion of DWI after a tractor-trailer hauling 42,000 pounds of paint overturned on Interstate 70 in Montgomery County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
The crash happened just after midnight Tuesday on eastbound I-70 near the 166-mile marker.
Paint Spilled Across I-70
MSHP Troop F said troopers responded to the rollover crash involving a tractor-trailer loaded with paint.
The crash spilled paint onto the roadway, including the passing lane, and traffic was reduced to one lane while crews worked to clean up the mess.
The Missouri Department of Transportation said traffic was affected for more than eight hours.
Both eastbound lanes were reopened by about 10:20 a.m., according to Northeast MoDOT.
Driver Was Not Injured
Troopers said the driver was not hurt in the crash.
The driver was identified in arrest records as 46-year-old Lonnie E. Britton of Middletown, Delaware.
According to MSHP, Britton was arrested on suspicion of DWI.
Authorities listed possible charges as DWI for operating a commercial motor vehicle above 0.04% alcohol concentration and careless and imprudent driving involving a crash.
Troopers Warn: Paint and Alcohol Don’t Mix
MSHP used the crash as a warning against impaired driving.
“Paint and alcohol don’t mix,” Troop F wrote in a social media post.
A MoDOT spokesperson said no structure damage had been reported as of Tuesday morning.
Troopers and road crews remained on scene for several hours while paint was cleaned from the highway.
No additional details about what caused the tractor-trailer to overturn were immediately released.
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