An Illinois father and his two young children, along with two other individuals, tragically lost their lives after a semi-truck carrying thousands of gallons of anhydrous ammonia crashed. The local medical examiner’s office confirmed that all five victims died from exposure to the leaked ammonia. The incident occurred when someone attempted to pass the semi-truck, causing the driver to react and the tanker truck to roll over. Approximately 4,000 gallons of ammonia were released during the crash, prompting evacuations for the safety of the surrounding residents. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is now investigating the accident, while autopsies on the victims are set to begin on Monday.
The victims are named as Kenneth Bryan, 34, and his two children, Rosie, 7, and Walker, 10, as well as Danny J. Smith, 67, and Vasile Cricovan, 31. Several people were also hospitalized due to ammonia exposure, with five of them requiring airlifting to local medical facilities. The NTSB’s preliminary findings indicate that another vehicle attempted to pass the semi-truck, causing the driver to veer off the road and subsequently leading to the roll-over and compromised cargo tank. The crash occurred on US Highway 40 near Teutopolis, Illinois, potentially diverting the tanker truck from Interstate 70 due to an earlier accident.
Anhydrous ammonia is a highly toxic substance that can cause severe burns and irritation to the skin, lungs, eyes, mouth, and throat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that high-level exposure to ammonia can result in lung damage or death. Symptoms of anhydrous ammonia exposure include difficulty breathing, irritation of the eyes, nose, or throat, and burns or blisters. Crews worked tirelessly to patch the rupture on the semi-truck, reducing but not completely stopping the leak. The crashed tanker has since been emptied and is being examined by the NTSB and Illinois State Police to determine the cause of the accident.