18-year-old charged with DUI after crash with fire engine

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Updated: February 1, 2012 11:10AM

The south suburban driver of a car that collided with a Chicago Fire Department engine in the Far South Side West Pullman area Tuesday night has been charged with DUI, and the charge could be upgraded to a felony, police say.

The crash, which happened about 6:15 p.m. at South Halsted and West 128th Place, sent nine people — including three children and four Fire Department personnel.

Three children and two adults were hospitalized in critical condition, Fire Media Affairs said. Four of the injured were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and the fifth to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

Additionally, four Fire Department members were taken to MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island in good to fair condition, according to Fire Media. At least some of the victims were initially trapped inside the vehicle.

The driver of the car, 18-year-old Christopher Caston of the 15300 block of South Cottage Grove in Dolton, was charged with a misdemeanor count of DUI; and cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, driving with no proof of insurance and failure to stop at a stop sign, police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak said Wednesday.

The DUI charge could be upgraded to a felony, she said.