A 17-year-old Ohio resident has admitted to causing a devastating tanker truck crash that led to multiple fatalities, according to a newly released federal report.
The crash, which occurred on September 29, 2023, in Teutopolis, Illinois, claimed the lives of five people, including a father and his two young children. The report, published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on October 2, details the teen’s involvement, though her identity remains protected as she was a minor at the time of the incident.
In a recorded interview with authorities at Wright State Campus Police Department, the teen was read her Miranda rights. When asked if she needed a lawyer, she responded with confusion: “Do I need one? What the hell?”
During the questioning, she claimed to have no knowledge beyond what had been reported in the news. She explained that she was in Illinois that day because her mother was in a relationship with someone who lived near Highland, Illinois. The teen recounted driving when she encountered another crash, prompting her to change routes.
She vaguely remembered passing several trucks, including a slow-moving vehicle she overtook. However, she told investigators she didn’t see or hear any crash, assuming the emergency vehicles she later encountered were responding to an incident behind her.
The NTSB report also includes dash cam footage showing a van registered to her mother passing the scene just before the crash. After officers confronted her with the footage, she responded, “Oh, (expletive). Yeah. Oh, my goodness. Yep, totally my bad. Wow. Holy (expletive).”
The NTSB confirmed that the crash occurred when the tanker, carrying anhydrous ammonia, jackknifed and collided with a parked trailer, releasing toxic fumes. The victims of the tragedy were identified as Kenneth Bryan, 34, and his two children, Rosie, 7, and Walker, 10, from Beecher City, Illinois; Danny J. Smith, 67, of New Haven, Missouri; and Vasile Cricovan, 31, of Twinsburg, Ohio.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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