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2 months ago
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A 17-year-old Ohio girl made a shocking confession after a tanker truck crash in Illinois spilled a toxic chemical, killing five people.
In an interview with state troopers, released by the National Transportation Safety Board, the girl claimed to have had 'no idea' she was involved in the crash and said: 'Yep, totally my bad.'
The tanker truck was carrying a hazardous chemical, caustic anhydrous ammonia. Upon impact, the tank was punctured and spilled around half of the 7,500-gallon load at 8.40pm on September 29, 2023.
Dashcam footage showed the scary moment the 17-year-old driver almost had a head-on collision with a truck incoming on the opposite side of the road
The truck driver, in an effort to let the minivan pass without crashing, swerved to the right and off the road into a ditch
The Bryan family died, Kenneth, 34, Walker, 10, and Rosie, 7, in their home nearby the crash site. A GoFundMe was set up for mother and wife, Macy Bryan, which raised more than $46,000
The crash resulted in the deaths of five people, including 34-year-old father, Kenneth Bryan, and his two children, 7-year-old Rosie and 10-year-old Walker, in their nearby home.
Three people, who had stopped at the site of the crash, were also hospitalized after being exposed to the chemical and 500 people were evacuated for hours after the accident.
CBS Chicago reported that the Effingham County Coroner identified Bryan and his children as well as the remaining two victims, Danny Smith, 67, and Vasile Cricovan, 31.
Dashcam footage showed the then 17-year-old driving the minivan which contained her mother and brother, and passing the tanker truck on a two-lane US 40 in Illinois.
The footage then showed the scary moment the minivan came close to a head-on collision with another truck approaching in the opposite direction.
When asked about overtaking a vehicle in front of her she said: 'Well, I was going pretty fast. So, I guess, yeah, pretty scary.... I couldn't say anything for sure. It was dark. I just saw headlights.'
The driver of the tanker, who survived, recognized the hazard and pulled to the right allowing the minivan to pass but then swerved into a ditch on the side of the road.
The girl claimed in her interview that she 'had no idea' the truck had flipped behind her, and she 'just went on my merry way'.
After learning of the dashcam footage that revealed what caused the truck to veer off the road, she stated: 'I mean, you know what, I can totally imagine this being my bad...'
She added: 'But now I really feel like s***, right, because I basically killed five people. I mean, I don't know what was up with the semi-truck driver, right? But it happened because I passed him, right? He got startled or something?'
The 17-year-old driver, said she had 'no idea' she had caused the truck behind her to crash off the road
Upon learning she had caused the crash, the then 17-year-old said: 'Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Yep, totally my bad. Wow.'
Responders to the site included local police and fire, Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, as well as the US EPA
She was then asked if she knew if that portion of road was a no passing zone, to which she said she always waits to pass in the correct areas of the road.
The troopers play her the dashcam footage and said: 'This route 40. There's the no-passing zone sign. See that?'
In admittance to her mistake, she said: 'Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Yep, totally my bad. Wow.'
The trooper offered to watch the footage again and she said: 'No, you don't have to. It was totally my fault... I've honestly in the past had times when I just don't use good judgement in judging like distances and I have enough time for something.'
The reports revealed that she required contacts or glasses for near-sightedness and was due for an eye doctor appointment the day after the interview took place on October 4, 2023.
She added: 'It doesn't shock me, but obviously like the consequences of this like are no joke.'
The girl also admitted in the interview to having run another driver on a motorcycle off the road around North Carolina.
The tanker truck was carrying a highly hazardous chemical called caustic anhydrous ammonia
Upon impact, the tank was punctured and spilled around half of the 7,500-gallon
The driver said: 'It doesn't shock me, but obviously like the consequences of this like are no joke.'
CBS Chicago reported that in addition to the NTSB and Illinois State Police, the Illinois EPA, Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, Illinois Department of Transportation, local police and fire, and the US EPA all responded to the scene.
Effingham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns said in a press conference that emergency crews worked overnight Saturday on the scene, with a large plume from the leak seen billowing into the sky, reported DailyMail.com.
WICS reported that earlier this year seven lawsuits were filed against Prairieland transport, the driver of the tanker truck, and the then 17-year-old driver.
Out of six, four were reported to have been filed on behalf of those who died and two of those who were injured.
The lawsuits range from charges of negligence, wrongful death, to wanton conduct, reported the outlet.
In the interview she also stated: 'I killed five people and now I', -- yeah, of course I'd do that differently. Are you kidding me?'
Fundraisers were set up for the families affected by the spill. Including a GoFundMe for Macy Bryan, who lost her husband and two children, which raised more than $46,000.
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