Five fatalities after Illinois semi crash die from exposure to ammonia cloud

Five people, including a father and his two young children, died from exposure to anydrous ammonia that spilled after a semi overturned in southern Illinois, according to autopsies conducted Monday.

Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said official results from the autopsies won’t be available for several weeks. The victims of the multi-vehicle crash in Teutopolis, about 110 miles east of St. Louis, were Teutopolis resident Kenneth Bryan, 34, and his children, Walker Bryan, 10 and Rosie Bryan, 7; Danny J. Smith, 67 of New Haven, Missouri; and Vasile Cricovan, 31, of Twinsburg, Ohio.

The tanker traveling on US 40 Friday night veered to avoid a collision when another vehicle tried to pass it. It jackknifed, toppled and hit the trailer hitch of a vehicle parked just off the road, leaving it with a 6-inch hole in the chemical container, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

The crash spilled more than 4000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia, which is "essentially pure (over 99 percent) ammonia,” says the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). “‘Anhydrous’ is a Greek word meaning ‘without water;’ therefore, anhydrous ammonia in ammonia without water.”

Ammonia used in households is a diluted water solution that contains 5 to 10 percent ammonia, according to OSHA.

Ammonia in high levels can irritate and burn the skin, mouth, throat, lungs and eyes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Very high levels can also damage the lungs or cause death.

The toxic plume released forced the temporary evacuation of about 500 Teutopolis residents within a 1-mile radius of the crash site. Five people, ranging in ages 18 to 61, were airlifted to hospitals.

The crashed tanker has since been drained, patched, and taken to a secure location to be investigated by the NTSB and Illinois State Police.

Officials at GoFundMe said campaigns to defray expenses have been established for the Bryan family and Cricovan.

In addition to having a commercial driver’s license, the person behind the wheel of a toxic-substance tanker must study further and successfully complete a test for a hazardous material endorsement, said Don Schaefer, CEO of the Mid-West Truckers Association. But unless posted otherwise, there are no restrictions on transporting anhydrous ammonia on a public road, Schaefer said.




Mulitple first responder agencies stage in Teutopolis while working the multi-vehicle crash including a semi that spilled thousands of gallons of anhydrou ammonia. (Photo: WTWO via AP)