Authorities in Illinois have identified a driver and vehicle they say may have been involved in a crash that caused a truck carrying ammonia to overturn, resulting in the deaths of five people and injuring several more.
The crash happened around 8:40 p.m. Friday on U.S. Highway 40, about a half-mile east of Teutopolis, when a tanker operated by Prairieland Transport Ltd. out of Brownstown, Illinois, crashed. The truck was carrying about 7,500 gallons of ammonia and spilled about 4,000 gallons, according to the Illinois State Police (ISP).
In its preliminary investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board said it appears that another vehicle may have tried to pass the tanker.
“The driver of the truck appears to have reacted by pulling to the right. The tanker truck departed the roadway” and then rolled over, said the NTSB’s Tom Chapman during a news conference. He said during the crash, the tanker collided with a parked utility trailer and that the hitch of the parked truck punctured the tanker, leaving a 6-inch hole and allowing the ammonia to escape.
Killed in the crash were Danny Smith, 67, of New Haven, Missouri; Vasile Cricovan, 31, of Twinsburg, Ohio; Kenneth Bryan, 34, of Teutopolis, Illinois; and Rosie Bryan, 7, and Walker Bryan, 10, of Beecher City, Illinois, according to Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes, who spoke with News Channel 12.
The driver of the tanker was airlifted to a hospital.
A preliminary report from Rhodes said the victims all died from exposure to the toxic cloud that leaked from the truck. About 500 residents near the area of the scene were evacuated as rescue crews worked to contain the scene.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the ISP, and the NTSB sent a team to the scene.
The ISP said in a statement released Wednesday that prior to the crash around 8:35 p.m. a dark-colored car was seen going through an intersection along Highway 40. Authorities believe this vehicle may have been involved in the crash that occurred a short time after.
On Thursday, the ISP said the driver had been located. No further information was provided.
“Thank you to the communities of Montrose and Teutopolis, and everyone who provided information to ISP,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “The information we received from the community has been instrumental in identifying the vehicle and driver believed to be involved in this case.”
The victims
Among the victims was Cricovan, a husband and fathers of two sons.
“It is with devastating pain in my heart that I inform you that our beloved son, husband, father, brother, cousin and friend passed away on the evening of September 29 following a tragic road accident. A truck carrying anhydrous ammonium overturned in front of him, he braked and got out of his truck and inhaled toxic vapors, after which he had a respiratory failure,” reads a statement posted on GoFundMe from his wife, Liudmila.
Visitation is planned for Monday.
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Smith, also known as “Pastor Dan,” was a minister at St. Peter’s United Church of Christ in New Haven. He was traveling with a friend at the time of the crash, according to the church.
The friend, whose name has not been released, remains hospitalized.
Smith was ordained in 1995 and joined its congregation as interim minister in February 2022, according to a statement from St. Peter’s. He became pastor in June of this year.
“We extend our sympathy to Dan’s son Micah Smith, his sister Sande Hardy, and other family and friends,” the church said in a post on Facebook. “Please also keep in your prayers the family and friends of the other four lives that were lost, as well as those who were injured.”
A memorial service will be announced at a later time.
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Bryan and his children, Rosie and Walker, also died from exposure as a result of the crash.
“Rosie was one of the funniest kids you’d ever meet,” her obituary reads. “She was full of energy and joy and was always the life of the party. She was a talented mimic and always kept everyone laughing. She loved to help cook supper. She also loved art and was very excited about all the art supplies she had just received on her birthday.”
A separate obituary reads: “Walker loved to help out at the local tractor pulls. Like his dad, he loved semis and trucks. He wanted to follow in Kenny’s footsteps and go to a tech school after graduating.”
Funeral services for all three are scheduled for Friday.