Woman killed in three-vehicle crash near DeSoto; driver charged with DUI

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

JACKSON COUNTY, Ill., (KBSI) — A woman was killed and another driver was arrested following a three-vehicle crash Friday afternoon on U.S. Highway 51 in rural DeSoto.

The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office responded around 12:53 p.m. Aug. 14 to the crash near Keeling Cemetery Road.

Investigators said Christian Kistner was driving a Ford Escape north on U.S. 51 when his vehicle crossed the centerline and struck a southbound Nissan Versa driven by Mariana Fabian in an offset head-on collision.

Fabian’s vehicle went off the west side of the road and overturned. She had to be extricated from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Buick LaCrosse driven by Natalie Crowden was traveling south immediately behind Fabian. Investigators said Crowden was unable to avoid Kistner’s vehicle and struck it while it remained in the southbound lane. Crowden and her passengers were not injured.

Kistner was taken by ambulance to an area hospital, and authorities initiated a DUI investigation. After being released from the hospital, he was taken into custody and transported to the Jackson County Jail.

Kistner was charged with driving under the influence and driving while license revoked. According to the sheriff’s office, Kistner was on pretrial release in connection with an April 2026 DUI charge at the time of the crash.

The sheriff’s office Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit is investigating.

U.S. 51 was closed for about two hours and 45 minutes while crews responded and investigated the crash.