SALINE CO., Mo. (KCTV) – A Kansas City truck driver is fighting for his life after his 18-wheeler rolled over during an early morning collision on a rural Missouri highway.

He Missouri State Highway Patrol indicates that around 9:55 a.m. on Wednesday, October 30, emergency crews were called to the area of ​​Highway 65, north of Mount Olive, for reports of a single-vehicle collision.

When first responders arrived, they said they found Gerardo J. Velasquez Vallardes, 29, of Kansas City, who was driving his 2019 International semi-truck north on the highway when it veered off the right side of the road for an unknown reason.

Investigators said the truck struck a highway marker before Velasquez Vallardes overcorrected and put the vehicle back on the road, where it overturned.

Emergency crews said Velasquez Vallardes was taken to Columbia University Hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.

State troopers noted the truck was totaled during the collision. No further information has been released.

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