A driver attempting to pass a chemical tanker may have caused a deadly crash Friday night.
Five people killed were Kenneth Bryan, 34, and his two children, Walker, 10, and Rosie, 7.
Danny J. Smith, 67, of New Haven, Missouri, and Vasile Crivovan, 31, of Twinsburg, Ohio, also apparently succumbed to exposure to the anhydrous ammonia, according to the coroner's preliminary investigation, ABC7 reported.
The tanker truck carrying anhydrous ammonia jackknifed Friday night, and hit a utility trailer parked just off the highway. The tank hit the trailer hitch of the other vehicle, which punched a six-inch hole in the chemical container, Tom Chapman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board said during a press conference Sunday.
He said the tanker truck’s driver pulled to the right and ran off the road as it traveled west on U.S. 40 in Teutoplis.
Fire Chief Tim McMahon told WCIA when his firefighters saw the plume near the crash site, they quickly got other motorists out of the area and retreated.
Five people, including the truck driver, were flown to area hospitals for treatment. McMahon said no responders were injured during the incident.
As the wind was sending the plume headed toward Teutopolis, firefighters in full turnout gear and SCBAs started evacuating residents. About half of the town vacated.
“We did go house to house,” McMahon said. “And it’s good thing. "
Residents were allowed to go home 22 hours later and encouraged to open their windows to air out their homes.
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency officials said 4,000 of the 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia spilled.
A number of area HAZMAT teams including ones from Danville and Champaign responded to assist as the product was off-loaded.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.
