Illinois Father & His 2 Children Are Among Those Killed By Ammonia Release From Semi-Truck Crash
The devastating accident prompted a 15-person National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team to investigate the incident, including experts in:
- Motor carrier safety;
- Hazardous materials; and,
- Survival factors.
Illinois Father & His 2 Children Are Among Those Killed By Ammonia Release From Semi-Truck Crash
The chain of events leading to the accident was initiated when an attempt was made to pass the semi-truck. According to the NTSB, preliminary information suggests another vehicle may have been involved in this passing maneuver near the tanker truck. In response, the truck driver swerved to the right, causing the tanker truck to leave the roadway, overturn, and compromise the cargo tank. As the tanker truck rolled over, it jackknifed and exposed the head end of the tank. As momentum carried the tank forward, it came into contact with the hitch on a utility trailer, puncturing the cargo tank and leaving a hole approximately 6 inches in diameter. At the time of the accident, the truck was transporting approximately 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia, with early estimates indicating that around 4,000 gallons were released.
Multiple individuals were hospitalized due to ammonia exposure following the crash, with five requiring airlifts to local medical facilities. The victims have been identified as Kenneth Bryan, 34, along with his children Rosie, 7, and Walker, 10, as well as Danny J. Smith, 67, and Vasile Cricovan, 31. Renowned social justice and personal injury lawyer Ben Crump and his team at Ben Crump Law will represent at least one of the victims.
Preliminary findings indicate that all five individuals perished due to exposure to the leaked ammonia, with official autopsies set to commence as soon as possible. The accident occurred on US Highway 40 near Teutopolis, Illinois, approximately 100 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The NTSB is investigating whether the tanker truck was rerouted onto the minor highway due to an earlier crash on Interstate 70. Around 500 people living within a 1-mile radius of the crash were evacuated from parts of Teutopolis but were permitted to return to their homes the following night after testing confirmed that the danger from the anhydrous ammonia had dissipated.
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