The investigation into the ammonia incident in Teutopolis is ongoing

FILE – The National Transportation Safety Board logo and signage are seen at a news conference at NTSB headquarters in Washington, Dec. 18, 2017. Investigators said Thursday, June 6, 2024, that an inbound FedEx cargo plane came less than 200 feet from colliding with a Southwest Airlines jet in Austin, Texas, last year after both were cleared to use the same runway. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

TEUTOPOLIS, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — A crash near Teutopolis, IL that left five people dead, including a father and his two children, remains under investigation. The crash occurred on September 29, 2023 on US 40. Seven other people were injured in the crash.

Sarah Taylor Sulick of the National Transportation Safety Board told WTWO the investigation is ongoing. She noted that investigations can take 12 to 24 months from the date of the crash. The public file is usually opened around the anniversary of the crash.

The NTSB’s job is to determine the probable cause of the accident, not to impose criminal liability or charges. That is the job of law enforcement.

The investigation into the crash and subsequent ammonia spill revealed that a vehicle may have passed a tanker truck while traveling on U.S. Route 40 east of Teutopolis. The driver of the truck subsequently veered to the right and left the road.

When the truck collided with its tank trailer, the tank was punctured by the trailer hitch of a utility trailer parked at the scene of the accident. Half of the anhydrous ammonia in the tank leaked out, forcing an evacuation of Teutopolis.

As part of their investigation, the Illinois State Police released a video of a wanted vehicle. The vehicle was identified using information from people in Montrose and Teutopolis. However, no further information was released.