Sunday Was the One-Year Anniversary of Anhydrous Ammonia Incident in Teutopolis

(TOM CHAPMAN OF THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD ADDRESSES LOCAL MEDIA THE SUNDAY FOLLOWING THE FRIDAY NIGHT CRASH)

Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the crash along US Route 40 that led to the evacuation of a large part of the village of Teutopolis.

A crash led to a release of anhydrous ammonia, resulting in five deaths and injuries to 11 others.

A truck-tractor in combination with a cargo tank semitrailer was traveling west on the highway. The rig was loaded with approximately 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia. At the same time, an eastbound vehicle was approaching the westbound rig and a westbound passenger vehicle was passing the combination vehicle in a no-passing zone. In order to avoid a collision, the driver of the combination vehicle steered to the right and ran off the highway into a shallow roadside drainage ditch. The truck-tractor struck the end of a 12-inch diameter corrugated metal pipe culvert  installed beneath a field entrance, and the combination vehicle rolled onto its right side with its cargo tank sliding forward. The exposed front end of the cargo tank struck the tow ring of a utility trailer that had been parked adjacent to the roadway on private property. The tow ring punctured the front of the cargo tank, which led to the release of anhydrous ammonia into the atmosphere as a toxic gas in the form of a white cloud.

The National Transportation Safety Board indicated in the days following the incident that it would be a year before their final report on the crash would be released. We will keep you up to date.