EVANSTON — A man was transported to the hospital Wednesday morning and cited for inattentive driving after police say he hit a semi-trailer hauling bricks while he was wiping off his windshield with a napkin and driving up to 35 mph on Harrison Drive.

Evanston Police Lt. Ken Pearson said Trevor Thurman didn’t see the semi, which had turned off Weston Street and onto Harrison to go westbound as Thurman was heading eastbound, facing the sun. The crash occurred around 8 a.m.

“He didn’t see the semi and he hit it at full speed,” Pearson said, adding that the trailer carrying two-ton bricks didn’t move at all from the impact. The white SUV Thurman was driving, however, was heavily damaged. Firefighters had to cut off the driver side door to free Thurman.

Pearson said Thurman was transported by ambulance to Evanston Regional Hospital where he’s expected to be treated and released.

Thurman told the Herald in a Facebook message that he had turned on the defrost and the window fogged up, so he was trying to wipe it clean when his vehicle struck the semi-trailer.

Lt. Pearson said officers see vehicles every day that are ill-prepared for winter driving.

“It’s [often] parents that are driving the kids to school in pajamas and they have a periscope in their windshield,” Pearson said. “Truly, it’s an everyday occurrence. Around 7:30 in the morning we’re pulling people over nonstop for it.”

He said drivers should make sure their defrost is working before driving in the winter and clear any ice, snow or frost off the entire car before driving, not just the windshield. He said officers see many drivers who only scrape the windshield but the rest of the car is frozen.

“Or [after a snowstorm] they’ll clean off all the windows but leave a foot and a half of snow on top of their car,” Pearson said, “and as soon as they hit their brakes the snow slides onto the windshield,” also causing a dangerous situation.