A lawsuit has been filed after a fiery high-speed UTV crash near Hebron that left two men dead, one of which died after trying to walk away from the wreckage and being electrocuted to death.
The incident happened around 10:50 p.m. on August 17 in the 13300 block of Thayer Road in unincorporated Hebron.
The Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District, McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Harvard Fire Protection District, Mercyhealth MD-1, Woodstock Fire/Rescue District and Wonder Lake Fire Protection District responded to the crash.
The sheriff’s office said an investigation showed a UTV, driven by Ryan Wilson, 40, of Woodstock, was traveling eastbound on Thayer Road.
The UTV, which was traveling at a high rate of speed, exited the roadway and severed a utility pole, knocking down power lines, the sheriff’s office said.
The UTV had two passengers, which included Bryan Dahm, 36, of Woodstock, and a 35-year-old San Carlos, California man.
Sheriff’s officials said the UTV rolled over several times, resulting in Wilson being ejected.
The UTV came to rest upright in a ditch and caught on fire.
A lawsuit filed in McHenry County Circuit Court said Dahm began extricating himself from the burning vehicle.
He stepped on a live electrical wire and was electrocuted, which was the proximate cause of his death.
Wilson and Dahm were both pronounced dead at the scene, sheriff’s officials said.
The 35-year-old passenger suffered minor injuries and declined medical attention.
Alcohol was believed to be a factor in the crash, the sheriff’s office said.
An obituary for Dahm said he was married and had two young children.
“Bryan will be remembered by the countless friends he made, family he loved and memories he created with them all. There was no question about who Bryan was, he held his beliefs close and wore them proudly. He was full of life and lived each day to the fullest,” his obituary said.
Dahm was the owner of Dahm Enterprises, a family business, and a member of the Midwest Truckers Association, his obituary said. “Bryan was a loyal and proud man, adored by many and will be missed by all. Bryan’s legacy will live on through the lives he touched.”
An obituary for Wilson said he was also married and had three children.
“Ryan was faithful in all things. He worked hard, played hard, and loved fiercely. Ryan had the most generous heart, an unwavering solid man who lived everything in his life 110%,” his obituary said.
The lawsuit, filed by Dahm’s estate against Wilson’s estate, said Wilson violated his duty of care by disregarding traffic rules in driving too fast for conditions and failing to maintain control of the vehicle, resulting in the UTV veering off the roadway and causing Dahm’s eventual death.
The wrongful death suit seeks an unspecified judgment in excess of $50,000.
A scheduling conference was held in the case last week and the matter was continued to February 18 for the next court hearing.