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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 4 OctOber 2024
Ohio girl concedes cutting off tanker that spilled chemical last

year in Illinois, killing 5

By JOHN O'CONNOR "No, you don't have to. It
The Associated Press was totally my fault," the
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A girl said. "I've honestly in the
federal report on a tanker- past had times when I just
truck crash a year ago in don't use good judgment in
central Illinois that spilled a judging like distances and
toxic chemical and killed whether I have enough time
five people includes an in- for something."
terview with a 17-year-old Attempting to give the mini-
Ohio girl who concedes van space to get over, the
that the truck was forced off truck moved onto the shoul-
the road when she passed der, lost traction on gravel
it with the minivan she was and then hit a drainage cul-
driving. The tanker slowed vert, according to the truck
and pulled to the right to al- driver, who survived. Con-
low the minivan to get back tinuing west, the girl said she
in the right-hand lane and soon saw emergency ve-
avoid a head-on collision hicles coming coming east
with oncoming traffic on the but did not connect them
two-lane U.S. 40 in Teutopolis with her passing the truck.
on Sept. 29, 2023, accord- Emergency responders set up a staging area near Teutopolis High School, Sept. 30, 2023, in She said that before the
Teutopolis, Ill.
ing to dash-cam video from Associated Press family's return trip to Ohio,
the truck also released late when her mother was read-
Wednesday by the National Louis. and spokeswoman Melaney Teutopolis. ing aloud news accounts of
Transportation Safety Board. Five people died as a re- Arnold said the department The girl said her pass of the the crash, she had no idea
"Oh, (expletive). Yeah. Oh, sult, including three family turned over its findings last tanker began in a passing it had happened.
my goodness. Yep, totally members who were near month to Effingham Coun- zone, although a no-passing "Of course not," she told in-
my bad. Wow. Holy (exple- the road when the incident ty State's Attorney Aaron sign appears in the video. vestigators. "I told you that
tive)," the girl said while occurred. About 500 peo- Jones. A message seeking She said once she began like three times."
watching the video from the ple were evacuated for comment from Jones was passing, she realized she When one of the investiga-
ill-fated truck during an Oct. hours after the accident to left at his office Thursday. needed to accelerate to tors expressed disbelief that
4, 2023, Illinois State Police spare them exposure to the The girl, whose name is re- clear oncoming traffic and no one in the car noticed
interview. hazardous plume from the dacted in the transcript of estimated she was going a truck turning over behind
The tanker truck was carry- chemical used by farmers to the state police interview 90 mph when she pulled them, she doubled down.
ing caustic anhydrous am- add nitrogen fertilizer to the because she was a minor at back to the right, narrowly "Nobody said, 'Oh, the guy
monia when it jack-knifed soil and in large buildings as the time, said she was trav- slipping by an oncoming behind you drove off the
and hit a utility trailer parked a refrigerant. eling with her mother and vehicle. She told investiga- road,' " the girl said. "That
just off the highway. The The transportation board brother to visit her mother's tors her mother was upset would've been a huge deal
trailer's hitch punctured the said its latest findings are boyfriend in the Illinois sub- by the close call, but she for everybody. We would've
tank, spilling about half of merely a factual account urbs of St. Louis. An accident thought she had plenty of been like, 'Oh, (expletive), I
the 7,500-gallon (28,390-li- and do not include analysis on Interstate 70 earlier that clearance. just caused something really
ter) load about 8:40 p.m. just or conclusions, which are night diverted loads of traf- However, she declined the bad to happen,' and then
west of Teutopolis, a com- expected later. fic onto U.S. 40, and she said police interviewers' offer to like our whole night would've
munity about 110 miles (177 The Illinois State Police con- she passed three trucks on show the dash-cam video been figuring out" what to
kilometers) northeast of St. ducted its own investigation, the road heading west into again. do.q

Indiana man sentenced for neglect after rat attack

on his infant son

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — An sentence, the Evansville injured by rats inside their After a jury convicted
Indiana man convicted of Courier & Press reported. residence, according to a Schonabaum in Septem-
child neglect for a rat at- Prosecutor Diana Moers probable cause affidavit. ber, Moers said paramed-
tack that left his 6-month- previously said her office The Indiana Department ics and police had found
old son with disfiguring in- would not hold back in pur- of Child Services had previ- "the infant was laying in his
juries has been sentenced suing the "highest possible ously inquired about condi- crib in a pool of blood and
to the maximum 16 years in sentence." tions in the home. the bites were so bad on his
prison. The Associated Press left a Investigators said the infant body − including his face,
A judge sentenced Da- telephone message and suffered more than 50 rat mouth, and extremities −
vid Schonabaum, 32, on sent an email Thursday to bites and required treat- that they left bone showing
Wednesday after the Schonabaum's defense at- ment at an Indianapolis on one hand and he is now
This booking photo provided Evansville man was con- torney seeking comment. hospital. permanently disfigured."
by the Vanderburgh County
Sheriff's Department in victed by a jury in Septem- Evansville police arrested An Evansville police detec- Angel Schonabaum, 29,
Evansville, Ind., shows David ber on three felony counts Schonabaum and his wife, tive wrote in the affidavit pleaded guilty to felony
Schonabaum. of neglect of a dependent. Angel Schonabaum, in Sep- that the four fingers and neglect charges in Sep-
Associated Press Vanderburgh County Su- tember 2023 after David thumb on the child's right tember, days before she
perior Court Judge Robert Schonabaum called 911 hand "were missing the was scheduled to stand tri-
Pigman found no mitigat- to report that his 6-month- flesh from the top of them, al. Her sentencing is set for
ing factors to reduce the old son had been severely exposing fingertip bones." Oct. 24.q