Man charged with DUI in fatal I-57 crash with Markham firetruck

A west suburban man has been charged with DUI for a crash with a fire engine that left his passenger dead Saturday morning on I-57 in south suburban Markham.

Matthew J. Cage, 34, is charged with aggravated driving under the influence, according to a statement from Illinois State Police.

Cage was driving a 2007 Chevrolet SUV about 3:10 a.m. on northbound I-57 when it rear-ended a Markham firetruck that was stopped on the left shoulder near Kedzie to assist with an earlier crash, state police said.

The passenger in the SUV, 32-year-old Andrew Lee, was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died just over an hour later, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood on the Far South Side.

An autopsy conducted Sunday found Lee died from multiple injuries related to the crash, the medical examiner’s office said. His death was ruled an accident.

Cage, who lives in Aurora, was also taken to Christ Medical Center, where he remains hospitalized in police custody Monday afternoon, according to state police. A Markham firefighter was taken to the same hospital with minor injuries.

Judge Sophia Atcherson set Cage’s bail at $50,000 during a hearing on Sunday, according to Cook County court records. His next court date was scheduled for Tuesday.