The wife of a Wisconsin father of two, who was found dead after going missing from Crystal Lake, is calling for officials to take action and add a guardrail where her husband’s car drove off the tollway.
Benjamin Stephen Oberto, 45, of New Berlin, Wisconsin, was reported missing to the New Berlin Police Department on November 14.
The Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 1 announced two days later that the search for Oberto had ended.
The Rosemont Police Department located a Subaru Impreza with Wisconsin registration on the evening of November 15.
The vehicle was rolled over and partially submerged in a creek at the bottom of an embankment on the curve from the eastbound Interstate 90 ramp to northbound Interstate 294.
Divers located a body inside the vehicle, later identified as Oberto.
“I don’t yet have the words to truly express the deep sorrow I’m experiencing,” said Oberto’s wife, Laura Leatherberry.
“These past 60+ hours of searching, wondering, and fighting to find my husband has been excruciating, but the overwhelming love and support from our family, friends, and community has helped me through this. Together, we will get through this too,” Leatherberry said.
Leatherberry said her husband was last seen at 8:55 p.m. on November 13 at 1776 Restaurant in Crystal Lake.
He was assumed to be headed home to New Berlin, Wisconsin, from the restaurant.
Leatherberry said that her husband’s last phone call was at 9:26 p.m. that evening and at 10:11 p.m. his phone went directly to voicemail.
“Ben was not just my husband; he was a loving father, a cherished son, a caring brother, and a true friend to so many. His vibrant spirit, loving heart, and unmatched generosity left an indelible mark on every life he touched,” she said, calling his death a “profound loss.”
Leatherberry said in an update that she was “horrified” to learn that the site where her husband was found dead has seen many similar incidents in recent years, including on June 7.
Leatherberry sent a letter last week to Omer Osman, Secretary of Transportation at the Illinois Department of Transportation, and Raja Krishnamoorthi, U.S. Congressman representing Illinois’ 8th District.
She called on the officials to “take immediate action” by installing a guardrail and adding signage indicating a sharp turn on the interstate ramp.
“I hope my husband’s death will not be in vain and that your office will act swiftly to address this urgent matter and improve the safety of this intersection,” Leatherberry said in the letter.
“Together, I know we can bring swift and impactful change that will save lives,” she added.
Google Street View imagery shows a guardrail around part of the curve of the interstate ramp in prior years.
Updated imagery from August 2022 shows part of the guardrail was missing after being damaged.
ISP said they are leading the death investigation of Oberto.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said an autopsy was performed on Oberto but the cause and manner of death has not been made and remains pending.