ANTWERP - Driver inattention was the cause of the fiery chain-reaction crash on July 19 that killed six people on Route 11 in the town of Antwerp, state police have determined.

Investigator Patrick A. Hathaway said Friday morning that the agency’s report about the accident would be completed later in the day, with the finding of fault directed toward tractor-trailer driver James A. Mills Jr., Myerstown, Pa., for his inattention.

No charges have been filed against Mr. Mills, the investigator said, but he added that the next step will be consultation with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office for determination of appropriate charges.

The southbound rig driven by Mr. Mills, 45, carrying a full load of yogurt, went into a skid on freshly placed pavement, just south of Fox Ranch Road, and crashed into a vehicle that was stopped in a line of traffic being delayed for the repaving project. A succession of rear-end collisions followed, with a car and a state Department of Transportation pickup becoming engulfed in flames.

Trapped and killed in the fire-engulfed car were Laurie A. Dana, 42, North Lawrence; her daughters, Caitlyn O., 14, and Lauryn E., 11; their grandmother, Janet P. Dana, 69, and Shannon M. Planty, 14, a friend of Caitlyn. The driver of the car hit by the Mills rig, Maryann D. Gregory, 59, Dickinson Center, died later that day in E.J. Noble Hospital, Gouverneur.

The lone occupant of the DOT truck, Lewis L. Lottie Jr., 54, who was initially in critical condition, was listed Friday in good condition at Upstate Medical University, Syracuse.

There has been criticism about the alleged inadequacy of warning signage placed in the repaving zone by Barrett Paving Materials, Inc., of Watertown, which was contracted by the state for the project. Five days after the tragedy, Mr. Hathaway said the state DOT inspected placement of warning signs before the crash occurred and determined “they conformed to DOT standards.”

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