A $1 million settlement has been reached in a lawsuit after a man driving drunk caused a fiery high-speed UTV crash near Hebron that left him dead and his passenger electrocuted to death.
The incident happened around 10:50 p.m. on August 17, 2024, 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 scene.
The sheriff’s office said at the time that 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. The Polaris UTV was completely burned beyond recognition, according to a crash report.
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 initially.
Toxicology test results showed Wilson had a blood alcohol content of 0.22, which is almost three times the legal limit of 0.08, according to a coroner’s office report obtained by the Northwest Herald.
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.
Court records show that a settlement in the amount of $1 million was reached in the wrongful death suit in October.
McHenry County Judge Joel Berg accepted the settlement during a court hearing, saying that the amount was “fair and reasonable,” and dismissed the case.
$291,666 will be disbursed to Ankin Law Office, which represented Dahm’s estate. 50% of the remaining funds will be disbursed to Dahm’s wife and the other 50% will be equally paid to Dahm’s two children.