Lake Elmo swimmer hospitalized from ammonia exposure in Illinois tanker crash

A teenager from Lake Elmo was among those injured by an ammonia leak from a semitrailer truck that crashed in Illinois and killed five people.

Sarah Tague, 18, was in a car with three other swimmers from the University of Missouri's recreational swim club on the way to a meet in Ohio on Friday, Tague's aunt Brandi VanGunst said in a phone call.

The car got stuck in a traffic jam on U.S. Hwy. 40 near Teutopolis, caused by a semi that crashed a little before 9:30 p.m. The semi's tanker broke open and leaked thousands of gallons of anhydrous ammonia.

Tague and others saw a plume of the toxic gas and the four swimmers decided to run, her aunt said,

but were hit with the gas and suffered serious injuries. All four survived, but five others exposed to gas died.

The first call Tague's parents received from authorities was someone informing that she was in the accident, but that they didn't know where she was, VanGunst said.

"It was any parent's worst nightmare coming true," she said.

It turned out Tague was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Springfield, Ill.

She has been on a ventilator since then, and has suffered swelling and irritation to her lungs, throat, skin and eyes, VanGunst said. Tague's fellow swimmers have similar injuries and were also hospitalized.

To assist her family with the medical costs and the helicopter trip, family hotel stays and more, VanGunst set up a GoFundMe page. So far it has raised roughly $11,250 of the $15,000 goal.

The club swim team has also set up its own fundraiser to help the families of the four swimmers.