2nd victim of UTV crash near Hebron is identified

The McHenry County Coroner’s Office on Thursday identified Ryan Wilson, 40, of Woodstock, as the second person killed in a UTV crash near Hebron late Saturday.

Coroner Michael Rein’s office was unable to positively identify Wilson until Thursday due to the thermal injuries he received in the crash, according to officials at his office.

According to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office, Wilson was driving the UTV about 10:50 p.m. on the 13300 block of Thayer Road near Hebron and “traveling at a high rate of speed” when it left the road and hit a utility pole, severing the pole and knocking out power in the area. The UTV rolled several times, came to a rest upright in a ditch and caught on fire.

The other victim was previously identified as Bryan Dahm, 36, of Woodstock. A third man, a 35-year-old from California, who also was a passenger in the UTV declined medical attention at the scene, authorities said.

Wilson was a married father of three daughters, according to his obituary. A visitation for Wilson is set for Friday and a funeral Mass for Saturday in Woodstock.

Dahm was a married father with a son and a daughter, according to his obituary. His memorial service is scheduled for Saturday in Woodstock.

UTVs, or utility terrain vehicles, are also known as side-by-sides and tend to be larger and more expensive than all terrain vehicles, or ATVs. UTVs are not generally permitted on roads unless the township or homeowners association allows them, according to McHenry County Sheriff’s Office Communications Specialist Emily Matusek-Baker said, adding McHenry County does not have an ordinance allowing such UTV use.

Alcohol was believed involved in the crash, according to the initial news release, and toxicology results for both victims are pending. The coroner’s office is working with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and the Hebron-Alden-Greenwood Fire Protection District to investigate the crash, according to the release.