2 children among 5 killed when semi-truck carrying ammonia overturns on Illinois highway
Five people are dead and hundreds of nearby residents were evacuated after a semi-truck carrying a toxic substance overturned in rural Illinois. Two children under the age of 12 were among five people killed when a semi-truck loaded with a toxic substance overturned in their rural Illinois community. The crash forced hundreds of nearby residents to evacuate their homes over the weekend, officials said. The deadly highway wreck happened Friday night near the village of Teutopolis, authorities said. The semitruck was carrying several thousand gallons of anhydrous ammonia and caused a "large plume cloud" of the noxious gas to rise over the area, according to authorities. Evacuated residents were allowed to return to their homes Saturday evening after the crash was cleared from U.S. Highway 40 and testing "indicated the danger from the anhydrous ammonia has dissipated," Teutopolis Assistant Fire Chief Joe Holomy said in a statement. Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes c...