Wendy's Chili Results in Truck Driver Black Out, Crash Into Home

Truck driver chokes on chili and crashes into home

Jan 29 2010


Lowell, Mass.— Police said a Massachusetts truck crashed into a home after the driver was knocked unconscious by a small chili from Wendy's. Lowell police said Eric Gremm reported that he choked on the chili when the truck hit a bump, causing him to pass out as the truck veered off the road and slammed into the home. The man, 59, said emergency workers at the scene told him that he had passed out, but he could not remember losing consciousness.

Police said the truck hit the foundation of the home, and authorities were worried that the home might collapse when the truck was pulled out.

Gremm was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Police said he could be cited for eating while driving or, in the alternative, for driving while eating. Both violations carry the same penalty so prosecutors normally toss a coin to decide which offense will be charged. If the coin rolls into a storm sewer or is otherwise lost, all charges are dropped, unless there is a death involved.