Man charged in DUI crash that killed 2 in Chicago Heights

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, Ill. (WLS) -- A 41-year-old man was charged in a DUI crash that killed a 31-year-old man and his daughter in south suburban Chicago Heights.

Bill Brown was behind the wheel of a 2016 Nissan that T-boned a 1998 BMW near Chicago Road and Lincoln Highway around 7:55 a.m. Sunday, Chicago Heights Chief of Police Thomas Rogers said.

After the collision, the BMW burst into flames. Witnesses rushed to rescue the people inside. They were only able to save three children from the backseat.

Their father, identified by police as Jose Juan Romero, and his daughter, identified by a family friend on Facebook as Maritza Romero, were pronounced dead at the scene. The medical examiner's office has not confirmed the victims' identities.

The three children were taken to St. James Health with burns. They were later transferred to Stroger Hospital for treatment.

Brown was also taken to St. James. He remained hospitalized Monday. His condition was not immediately known.

Rogers said Brown was charged with two counts of felony aggravated DUI-death and two counts of involuntary manslaughter. He is due in Bond Court in Markham Tuesday morning.

The crash remains under investigation.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.