A 17-year-old teen from Ohio apologized to cops after forcing a tanker truck off the road, causing it to spill its load of toxic chemicals. Five people were killed in the incident.
A report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) noted that the truck pulled to the right to allow a minivan to get back in the lane on the US 40 in Teutopolis. However, the truck jack-knifed and hit a utility trailer parked off the highway. The trailer's hitch punctured the tanker, spilling about half of its 7,500-gallon load of caustic anhydrous ammonia onto the highway.
The accident, which occurred in September 2023, killed five people, including three who were near the road when the truck veered off the highway. Officials had also evacuated 500 people for hours to avoid exposure to the hazardous chemical, per the NTSB report.
What the Teen Said About the Accident
Police officials spoke with the teen, whose identity was not publicly disclosed at the Wright State Campus Police Department. In the recorded interview, the 17-year-old said the only information she knew about the crash was "what is on the news," later admitting that she heard a truck "flipped" and went off the road.
The teen also initially said she was unsure if she saw a tanker truck on the road before later recalling that she did see a "boxy maybe trailer" and admitted to cutting off the vehicle.
"I was behind several trucks. I was behind this, this boxy maybe trailer or RV. And he was going super duper slow, so I passed him," she said.
It was noted that the teen claimed she passed the tanker beginning in a passing zone. However, a no-passing sign appeared in the dashcam video shown to her by police. She was going around 90 mph when she pulled back to the right lane, narrowly slipping by an oncoming vehicle, identified to be the truck.
The teen said she later saw emergency vehicles coming east. However, she said she did not connect it to her passing the truck.
Police officers showed her the dashcam footage of the incident, to which she responded, "Yep, totally my bad."
The interview was conducted in October 2023, the NTSB noted.
Who Died in the Crash
The five victims who died in the incident were identified as:
- Kenneth Bryan, 34
- Rosie Bryan, 7
- Walker Bryan, 10
- Danny J. Smith, 67
- Vasile Cricovan, 31
The incident was investigated by the Illinois State Police. The findings have been turned over to Effingham County State's Attorney Aaron Jones. It is unclear if the teen will be charged in connection to the incident.
