Federal authorities released new information on a crash that caused a chemical spill, killing five people in Teutopolis, Illinois, last year.
On October 2, 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opened the public docket on the investigation into the September 29, 2023, tanker truck crash and 4000 gallon anhydrous ammonia spill that occurred on US Highway 40 in Teutopolis, Illinois.
The NTSB previously stated that the crash occurred when “an oncoming eastbound vehicle was approaching the westbound combination vehicle [the tanker truck], and a westbound passenger vehicle was passing the combination vehicle in a no-passing zone.” The tanker driver steered right to try to avoid a collision, jackknifing, rolling, and striking a utility trailer parked off the roadway, which caused the puncture of the tanker.
See dash cam video from the tanker truck below.
Five people, including two children, passed away from exposure to the chemical spill. The tanker driver and eleven others were injured. The incident also triggered an evacuation.
Teen: “It Was Totally My Fault”
Included in the NTSB docket released on Wednesday is a 92 page transcript of an interview with a seventeen year old female conducted by Illinois State Police troopers. The teen’s name was redacted.
In the interview, the teen told troopers she was driving her mother and brother from Xenia, Ohio, to visit her mother’s boyfriend near St. Louis.
The teen admitted to passing the truck on US 40 but said that she did not notice any crash that occurred behind her as she moved ahead.
“I probably went way faster passing that guy than I should have. Seriously. Like 90,” the teen said, according to the transcript. “I just went on my merry way. I had no idea a truck flipped behind me.”
After the troopers showed the teen dash cam video of the crash, she stated, “I’ve honestly in the past had times when I just don’t use good judgment in judging like distances and whether I have enough time for something.”
From the transcript:
Q: This [is] Route 40. There's the no-passing zone sign. See that?
A: Oh, sh*t.
Q: Okay?
A: Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Yep. Totally my bad. Wow.
Q. Okay.
A. Holy sh*t.
Q: So we'll watch this again.
A: No, you don't have to. It was totally my fault.
Q: Okay. I'll get that out of the way.
“Because I thought I just passed a truck normally and everything was fine. I didn’t know he went off the road. I mean, logically looking back on it, I would’ve thought he could brake. But obviously trucks can’t stop quickly, so I — it looks like it was my fault from the video,” she told police.
The teen went on to express disbelief that a potentially dangerous hazmat load would be hauled on US 40 through a residential area.
“Like what the f*ck is with this ammonia and like he’s on this tiny little road? It should stay on the highway, because you’ll notice something on a highway, there’s no houses close to them. Like it’s f*cked up that the truck even had to go on that road,” she told troopers.
NTSB opens the public docket for the investigation of the Sept. 29, 2023, cargo tank combination vehicle crash and subsequent release of anhydrous ammonia in Teutopolis, Illinois: https://t.co/BISv38Shj8
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) October 2, 2024