### Teen's Reckless Maneuver Leads to Fatal Tanker Crash in Illinois, Report Reveals

A federal report has shed light on a harrowing tanker-truck crash that occurred a year ago in central Illinois, causing a toxic chemical spill and five fatalities. The investigation includes details from an interview with a 17-year-old Ohio girl, who admitted that her driving forced the truck off the road.

The fatal incident happened on September 29, 2023, when the tanker truck, carrying anhydrous ammonia, veered off U.S. 40 in Teutopolis to avoid colliding with the girl’s minivan. Dash-cam footage from the tanker truck, released by the National Transportation Safety Board, shows the tanker slowing down and pulling to the right to accommodate the minivan re-entering the lane.

Recalling the event during an Illinois State Police interview on October 4, 2023, the girl exclaimed, “Oh, (expletive). Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Yep, totally my bad. Wow. Holy (expletive)." The transcript of the interview kept her identity confidential as she was a minor at the time.

Following the evasive action, the tanker truck jack-knifed and collided with a utility trailer parked just off the highway. The collision punctured the tank, releasing approximately half of its 7,500-gallon load of hazardous material. The accident not only claimed five lives, including three family members near the road, but also prompted an evacuation of about 500 residents due to the toxic plume.

The girl later disclosed that she was driving with her mother and brother to visit her mother’s boyfriend in the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis. Diverted from Interstate 70 due to an earlier accident, she found herself passing trucks on U.S. 40. She explained that her pass of the tanker began in a passing zone but quickly required her to accelerate up to 90 mph to avoid oncoming traffic, ultimately leading to the disastrous outcome.

Although police offered to show the dash-cam footage again, the girl refused, stating, "No, you don't have to. It was totally my fault." She admitted a history of poor judgment in gauging distances and time for maneuvers.

As she continued westward, the girl noticed emergency vehicles headed east but failed to connect them with the truck she had passed. She remained oblivious to the crash until her mother read news accounts of the incident before their return trip to Ohio.

Despite the investigators’ incredulity that no one in the car noticed the truck overturning behind them, the girl insisted, "Nobody said, 'Oh, the guy behind you drove off the road.'" She maintained that such an observation would have significantly altered their actions that night.