Jackson County driver charged with DUI after fatal three-vehicle crash

A woman was killed in a three-vehicle collision on U.S. Highway 51 near DeSoto in Jackson County, Illinois. The accident occurred around 12:53 p.m. on August 14 near Keeling Cemetery Road.

Investigators determined that Christian Kistner, driving a Ford Escape, crossed the centerline and struck a southbound Nissan Versa driven by Mariana Fabian in an offset head-on collision. Fabian’s vehicle overturned after the impact; she was extricated from the wreckage and pronounced dead at the scene. A third vehicle, a Buick LaCrosse driven by Natalie Crowden, struck Kistner’s vehicle while attempting to avoid the initial collision. Crowden and her passengers were uninjured.

Kistner was hospitalized following the crash and subsequently arrested. He faces charges of driving under the influence and driving while his license was revoked. Authorities noted that Kistner was on pretrial release regarding a previous DUI charge at the time of the incident.