NTSB Begins Crash Investigation; Names of Those Killed and Injured

(BOARD MEMBER TOM CHAPMAN OF THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD SPEAKING AT A PRESS BRIEFING SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT THE EFFINGHAM COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING)

Officials from the National Transportation Safety Board are in Teutopolis as their phase of the investigation begins into the fatal crash that occurred Friday night.

Tom Chapman, a NTSB board member, said Sunday afternoon that his agency will handle the safety phase of the investigation, while Illinois State Police are in charge of the crash investigation. The death and injury investigation is under the direction of Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes.

Rhodes has released the names of those killed Friday when the anhydrous release occurred following the crash.

Those killed were 34-year-old Kenneth Bryan of Teutopolis and his two children, seven-year-old Rosie Bryan and 10-year-old Walker Bryan, both from Beecher City. The other two killed were 67-year-old Danny J. Smith of New Haven, Missouri and 31-year-old Vasile Cricovan of Twinsburg, Ohio. All five of those killed died due to inhalation of the anhydrous and not due to injuries from the crash.

Five people were listed as injured from the incident. They are 61-year-old Terrie Tudor of Union, Missouri; 19-year-old John Costello of Olathe, Kansas; 18-year-old Sara Tague of Lake Elmo, Minnesota; Anja Dangelmeier of Dallas, Texas; and 24-year-old Jacob Bloemker of Brownstown. These individuals have been transferred to hospitals outside the Effingham County area.

Rhodes said two individuals were admitted to HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital in Effingham due to exposure at the scene. They are 18-year-old Weston Hemmerling of Kansas City, Kansas and 66-year-old Charlie Whitt of Green Castle, Indiana.

Chapman shared that a westbound tanker truck owned by Prairieland Transport of Brownstown was traveling on US Route 40 about 8:40pm Friday when another vehicle may have been passing. The driver of the tanker truck swerved to the right and ran off the highway and overturned. The tanker struck a utility trailer that was parked legally off the highway. The tanker jackknifed and the trailer hit the hitch on the utility trailer, which punctured the tanker trailer and resulted in the release of the anhydrous.

The Illinois EPA had reported on Saturday that the tank held 7,500 gallons of anhydrous and that approximately 4,000 gallons had been released.

Chapman addressed the likely pace of the NTSB investigation. Officials will be in Effingham County for four to six days. A preliminary report should be released in 30 days. The final report might not be available for a year or more. 

Chapman said they want to understand "what happened as well as why it happened."

Most of the media questions for Chapman dealt with the large number of crashes that have occurred on I-70 in the construction zone from just east of Effingham to Greenup. It was such a crash Friday afternoon that led to traffic being routed off the interstate and onto Route 40, where the crash and resulting release of anhydrous occurred.

Chapman said that matter will be a part of the overall investigation. He encouraged those who might have information on the incident, including any witnesses, to e-mail: witness@ntsb.gov 

Rhodes said as of Sunday morning authorities have learned that several individuals were being treated at HSHS St. Anthony's and at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana for anhydrous ammonia exposure due to traveling through the scene of the crash.

Approximately 100 first responders assisted during the incident. The inevstigation is continuing by the Effingham County Coroner's Office, Illinois State Police, ISP Traffic Crash Reconstruction, NTSB, IEMA and the Illinois EPA.