Teen who cut off tanker on Illinois highway resulting in crash, chemical spill: 'My bad'

A new report reveals a teen driver's response to viewing dashcam footage of a September 2023 crash that resulted in a chemical spill and five fatalities.

The incident occurred on Highway 40 near Teutopolis, a village in Effingham County, Illinois, according to a summary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. The driver of a Toyota minivan passed a tanker truck while both were traveling west on the highway.

"The passing maneuver was being conducted in a no passing zone and in the presence of oncoming traffic," the summary states. The tanker truck "moved to the right to allow the Toyota minivan to complete its passing maneuver."

The moment was captured on dashcam footage included in the investigation. According to the report, it resulted in the tanker truck − which contained an estimated 7,600 gallons of anhydrous ammonia −ultimately striking a utility trailer parked on private property. The chemical was released into the area.

Per the NTSB, five people succumbed to chemical exposure, including three people at a nearby home and two other drivers. In addition, eight people were also hospitalized, and four others had "minor exposure injuries." Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the chemical is utilized as a fertilizer in agriculture, manufacturing, and refrigeration. Exposure can be deadly.

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Teen driver responds to dashcam video during interview with authorities

Illinois State Police troopers interviewed the 17-year-old minivan motorist in October 2023. During the probe, they showed the teen the dashcam video.

"Oh, my goodness. Yep, totally my bad. Wow," the teen stated to police. "Holy (expletive)."

When asked to watch the footage again, the teen refused, adding: "I've honestly in the past had times when I just don't use good judgment in judging like distances and whether I have enough time for something. So it doesn't shock me, but obviously like the consequences of this like are no joke."One of the troopers asked if the teen knew about the incident.

"Of course not. I told you that like three times. I had no idea. I thought -- generally you would think, right, if you're going along a road you would know if a truck flips behind you. There was nothing like audible," the teen responded.

In the interview, the teen, an Ohio resident, explained that she was in the car with her mother and her brother, visiting her mother's boyfriend in Illinois. The minor's identity was not revealed in the documents.

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.