Illinois Father and His 2 Children Among 5 Killed by Ammonia Release …

The Sept. 29, 2023, crash left five people dead and caused several injuries, according to Illinois officials. (News Nation / WTWO / AP)

(CNN) — An Illinois father and his two young children are among the five people killed by anhydrous ammonia exposure after a semi-truck carrying thousands of gallons of the toxic substance crashed Friday, the local medical examiner’s office announced.

Those killed in the incident have been identified as Kenneth Bryan, 34, and his two children – Rosie, 7, and Walker, 10 – along with Danny J. Smith, 67, and Vasile Cricovan, 31, the Effingham County Coroner’s Office said in a release.

A preliminary examination indicates all five died from exposure to the leaked ammonia and official autopsies will begin Monday, the office said.

A 15-person National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) team including motor carrier, hazmat and survival factors investigators arrived at the Effingham County site on Sunday, according to NTSB spokesperson…