TEUTOPOLIS, Ill. — More than 500 people in Teutopolis, Illinois, can now return to their homes after a truck carrying toxic substances overturned Saturday morning, Effingham Fire Chief Brant Yochum told 5 On Your Side.
The crash left five people dead and five others seriously injured, according to numerous state and federal authorities. Effingham County Coroner Kim Whodes, according to local station WTWO, identified the five people killed as:
- Kenneth Bryan, 34, of Teutopolis, Illinois.
- Rosie Bryan, 7, of Beecher City, Illinois.
- Walker Bryan, 10, of Beecher City, Illinois.
- Vasile Cricovan, 31, of Twinsburg, Ohio.
- Danny J. Smith, 67, of New Haven, Missouri.
The preliminary investigation found that the victims all died from exposure to anhydrous ammonia at the scene.
Five other people were airlifted to area hospitals as a result of exposure at the crash site, including:
- Jacob Bloemker, 24, of Brownstown, Illinois.
- John Costello, 19, of Olathe, Kansas.
- Anja Dangelmaier, 18, of Dallas, Texas.
- Sara Tague, 18, of Lake Elmo, Minnesota.
- Terrie Tudor, 61, of Union, Missouri.
Route 40, where the crash took place, is reopened.
The National Transportation Safety Board is reviewing the crash, which also prompted an evacuation of area residents. Illinois State Police said the accident occurred Friday and involved “multiple” vehicles.
Illinois State Representative Adam Neimerg, who represents Teutopolis, believes the crash could’ve been prevented.
“We’ve had an issue here with I-70, there’s been many accidents on I-70," he said. "What happens is you have traffic that gets routed through Teutopolis and a lot of folks are upset because they felt this type of thing would happen eventually."
"The semi-truck was carrying approximately 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia at the time of the accident," a release from the EPA said. "Early estimates indicate approximately 4,000 gallons have been released. The leak has been partially patched. There have been five fatalities reported as well as multiple injuries. Currently, approximately 500 individuals have been evacuated from the area due to the anhydrous ammonia leak."
The crash happened about a half-mile east of Teutopolis on U.S. Highway 40. Police said Saturday that due to the plume from the ammonia leak, an evacuation was ordered within an approximate one-mile radius of the crash, including northeastern parts of Teutopolis. Crews were working to contain the leak. Teutopolis is about 110 miles northeast of St. Louis.
On Sunday, local, state and federal agencies began wrapping up the emergency response to the crash.
A news release from ISP outlined all the work that had been performed and continues to be done after the crash.
- State and local law enforcement, along with local fire and emergency management responded to the crash to render aid.
- IDOT was involved with road closures and has since reopened U.S. Highway 40 between Effingham and Montrose.
- IEMA-OHS coordinated and offered resources for the response.
- A contractor hired by the responsible tanker truck reviewed the situation and advised on the best plan to safely empty the tanker.
- A private hazmat company removed the anhydrous ammonia by patching and then filling the tanker with water.
- U.S. EPA performed air monitoring throughout the community and evacuation zone and did not detect any levels of concern.
- Local law enforcement lifted the evacuation from Pearl Street in Teutopolis, along U.S. Highway 40 to 2100 North Road, North to I-70, west to Pearl Street, and residents were able to return before 8 p.m. Saturday
- Law enforcement worked to remove all involved vehicles from the scene to a local tow yard.
- Illinois EPA will ensure contamination resulting from the incident is properly addressed.
- ISP continues to investigate the cause of the crash, including performing traffic crash reconstruction.
The Associate Press contributed to this article.