A missing Wisconsin man died in a Chicago-area crash, it has been revealed.

Ben Oberto, 45, had vanished Wednesday night, last seen leaving a restaurant in Crystal Lake just before 9pm on Wednesday.

The wine seller had been in town for a work appointment, and he had told his wife over the phone how he would be home in time to put their son to bed.

However, that was not the case – and he never showed up. A massive interstate search ensued – one lasting more than 60 hours.

Police managed to track the man’s phone to Rosemont, where he was found Friday morning.

There, troopers from the New Berlin Police Department, with help from Illinois State Police, pulled the dad-of-two from an overturned Subaru Impreza found submerged in a local creek.

Once retrieved, the body was positively identified as Oberto.

As it stands, the wine representative’s car appears to be the only one involved, as Oberto’s wife issued a statement explaining what she and police who probed the man’s last moments believe had happened.

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Police managed to track the man’s phone to Rosemont in Chicago, where he was found Friday. There, troopers from the New Berlin Police Department with help from Illinois State Police pulled the dad-of-one from an overturned Subaru Impreza submerged in a local creek

‘The news I have to share is not what any of us want to hear,’ wrote 38-year-old New Berlin resident Laura Leatherberry in a post to Facebook.

‘Early this morning, we received confirmation that Ben’s car and body were found.’

She went on to recount: ‘On Wednesday, November 13th, at approximately 9:47 pm, Ben’s car left the freeway as he navigated a challenging turn towards home on a dark, rainy, and foggy night. 

‘He did not survive the accident,’ she added.

Statements from police said more of the same, with both the New Berlin Police and Illinois State Police confirming Oberto died after his vehicle veered off the ‘challenging’ stretch of freeway his wife had been referring to.

The road in question, the I-90 eastbound ramp to I-294 northbound near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, has a pronounced curve, photos show.

The crash is currently under investigation, cops in Illinois said – with all departments involved categorizing it as a ‘single-vehicle accident.’

The car is believed to have overturned at the bottom of the embankment, before going over the median and ending up submerged in the creek below.

The dad-of-two died while making a ‘challenging’ turn on the freeway, while on his way home to his family

Cops were seen at the scene late Friday – as divers worked relentlessly to retrieve the body.

Leatherberry, in turn, wrote hours later: ‘I don’t yet have the words to truly express the deep sorrow I’m experiencing, but you deserve to know the truth and not wait in agony anymore.

‘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,’ she continued.

‘Together, we will get through this too.’

She and cops were able to piece together his final moments thanks to combination of information garnered from tolls and data from his iPhone that pinged him in Rosemont near the airport.

Officers went on to discern the traveling salesmen never got on any flights, and that his phone had gone dead.

Police proceeded to sweep the area only to find no signs of Oberto – nor his car, his phone, or any reports of his body being brought to a local morgue or hospital. 

A father of two, Oberto is now being remembered by his family and those who knew him

She and cops were able to piece together the wine rep’s final moments thanks to combination of information garnered from tolls and data from his iPhone that pinged him near O’Hare airport

Officers went on to discern the traveling wine salesmen – who worked for an importer based in New York City – never got on any flights, and that his phone had gone dead. He was found not far away, his car submerged in the creek

Eventually, more than two days into the search, cops came across the submerged Subaru. 

‘Ben was not just my husband; he was a loving father, a cherished son, a caring brother, and a true friend to so many,’ Leatherberry wrote, after being interviewed by stations such as CBS News as officers looking into her spouse’s disappearance.  

‘His vibrant spirit, loving heart, and unmatched generosity left an indelible mark on every life he touched.

‘As we mourn this profound loss, let us also celebrate the love and joy he brought into our lives.

‘Thank you from the depths of my heart for your support and kindness during this unimaginably difficult time.’

Oberto’s company, New York City-based wine importer Massanois LLC, also issued a statement in response to his passing.

‘Ben was not just my husband; he was a loving father, a cherished son, a caring brother, and a true friend to so many,’ Leatherberry said after being interviewed by CBS News during the search. ‘His vibrant spirit, loving heart, and unmatched generosity left an indelible mark’

‘It is with a heavy heart that we write to inform you that Ben Oberto, while driving home to his family, passed away in a tragic car accident on Wednesday, November 13th,’ it read. 

‘Our hearts go out to his wife, Laura; his children Collette and Augie; and his immediate family. 

‘Ben’s levity, kindness, and enthusiasm will be dearly missed by his friends and colleagues. 

‘We look forward to gathering to celebrate Ben’s life together, with both tears and laughter, as we mourn his loss.’

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin linebacker Jake Chaney paused as he sat at a podium inside the McClain Center late Saturday night, pent-up emotions from four seasons of failure steadily rising from his chest into his throat. They weren’t his failures, per se, though he took some of the blame as a program leader anyway. But the feeling after Wisconsin had missed out on yet another golden opportunity during a 16-13 loss to No. 1 Oregon at Camp Randall Stadium was both clear and familiar.

This one, he said, sucked — more than any other game he had played, not only for the narrow margin of defeat but also because of what it represented.

“For my four years here, I don’t think we’ve won a big game,” Chaney said. “You can say Penn State was close, say all these other teams were close. But I feel like, truly, that came down to the last drive. Just being that close, you always say, ‘You’re so close, you’re so close.’ But for a lot of guys that’s kind of your last opportunity.”

There’s no shame in losing by three points to the top-ranked team in the country. As safety Hunter Wohler had said earlier in the week, nobody expected Wisconsin to beat Oregon anyway, which is why the Badgers were two-touchdown underdogs. Wisconsin did everything it could defensively with one of its best performances all season.

The Ducks, playing their eighth game in as many weekends, limped across the finish line while struggling to handle some of the Badgers’ disguised coverages. Wisconsin held Oregon — a team that had beaten each of its last four opponents by at least three touchdowns — 20 points below its season scoring average and kept Heisman Trophy candidate Dillon Gabriel from throwing a touchdown pass for the first time all season.

It didn’t change the end result. And in a results business, that’s what matters most. Wisconsin simply has not been able to break through by securing a meaningful victory for a long, long time. The Badgers haven’t beaten a ranked opponent in 1,114 days — a streak that could continue into next year. During that time, they are 0-7 in such opportunities.

The issues Wisconsin faces predated Luke Fickell’s tenure, but he hasn’t managed to fix them in two seasons as head coach. Fickell is now 0-6 at Wisconsin against ranked teams, and his best victory is a win in the regular-season finale a year ago against a Minnesota team that finished with a losing record.

Saturday night could have been a moment that marked a turning point under Fickell. Instead, the Badgers were left reeling from an outcome that Fickell described as “crushing,” with two regular-season games left to try to qualify for a bowl game.

“To not be able to find a way again to come out on top is difficult,” Fickell said. “Those guys in that locker room, obviously they fought their butts off, they did everything we asked them to do. They played the way we wanted them to play and we expected them to play.

“We just right now haven’t found a way to be able to finish. The games that have come down to the fourth quarter, the games that have come down to the most critical times, the deep, deep waters, we still have yet to get over the hump and find a way to pull it out and to continue to do what we need to do.”

Oregon finished with 354 total yards to Wisconsin’s 226. (John Fisher / Getty Images)

Fickell compared Wisconsin’s slate to that of an NFL schedule. The Badgers played their third top-five team at home this season, a program record, after previously losing to No. 4 Alabama 42-10 and to No. 3 Penn State 28-13. But the quality of competition won’t make anyone feel better about where the program stands. This is a new landscape in the Big Ten, and it’s Fickell’s job to help the Badgers keep pace. Fickell is 12-11 at Wisconsin, including 8-8 in conference play.

This one got away from Wisconsin (5-5, 3-4 Big Ten) for a simple reason: offensive futility and, more specifically, poor quarterback play. Oregon (11-0, 8-0) no doubt has a talented defense, but Wisconsin needed better from quarterback Braedyn Locke, who completed 12 of 28 passes for 96 yards with one touchdown and a late interception. Locke said afterward that there were “definitely tight quarters” on his throws and that Oregon didn’t give up much defensively.

It marked the fewest yards passing for Wisconsin in a loss since a 2018 game against Penn State when Jack Coan was making the second start of his career. Locke was starting his 10th game in two seasons after taking over for injured starters. Locke’s career pass efficiency rating of 109.8 ranks 22nd out of the 23 Wisconsin quarterbacks who have started at least two games since 1993 (ahead of only Jay Macias’ 106.4). Wisconsin’s future depends on finding a capable quarterback, though there are clearly issues beyond one player.

Fickell said Wisconsin needed to do a better job of establishing the run and not putting Locke in as many third-and-long situations. Wisconsin went 1-for-12 on third down, with its average third down distance 8.9 yards. Locke completed 1 of 7 passes on third down for 5 yards and took two sacks. One of his best throws, a left-handed third-down scramble for a touchdown to receiver Vinny Anthony II, was wiped out by an ineligible receiver downfield call on left tackle Jack Nelson.

“Obviously, it’s easiest to talk about the quarterback position,” Fickell said. “But I just think, as a whole, there’s so many of those things we’ve got to get better at in order to put ourselves in a position where it’s not all on the shoulders of a quarterback.”

Despite their offensive issues, the Badgers still led 13-6 entering the fourth quarter, and fans at Camp Randall Stadium were ready to witness magic in the team’s first game against a No. 1 opponent in 14 years. Oregon faced a fourth-and-9 at Wisconsin’s 41-yard line, leading to an epic rendition of House of Pain’s “Jump Around” that rocked the stadium like it hadn’t in years. But Gabriel converted the fourth down with a 15-yard pass, running back Jordan James ran for an 11-yard touchdown to tie the score and Wisconsin never threatened again. Oregon took the lead for good with 2:36 remaining in the fourth quarter on kicker Atticus Sappington’s 24-yard field goal.

Gabriel lazers this one in to T-Ferg on 4th down 💥 @oregonfootball #B1GFootball on NBC 📺 pic.twitter.com/RaSmV8Ma0m

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) November 17, 2024

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Wisconsin failed to get a first down on its final four drives. One was hindered by a backbreaking chop block call that negated a first-down pass to receiver Trech Kekahuna. The next drive ended in a turnover on downs on Locke’s incomplete pass, and the game wrapped when Locke’s final throw was tipped and intercepted by outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei with 1:32 remaining. Wisconsin averaged just 3.6 yards per play, its worst mark under offensive coordinator Phil Longo. Players acknowledged the defense deserved better.

“I apologize to them all the time,” Badgers running back Tawee Walker said. “They have our backs every single game. We’ve got to do the same. They played their part from the first snap of the game to the last snap of the game. I feel bad because we don’t have their backs like we should, and they played their hearts out.”

Fickell has attempted to stay positive despite mounting frustrations over the lack of progress. He said he was encouraged by the fact that he didn’t see doubt in anybody’s eyes on the sideline, even as Oregon took the lead late. He said that “there’s something that’s building” within the program. But that’s about all Wisconsin has to show for where it is — faint optimism about an uncertain future. And, at some point real soon, there better be more to offer because moral victories only go so far.

“This isn’t the norm,” Chaney said. “This isn’t the standard. I’m not going to sit here and say that a lot of people can’t see that. We see it in the locker room. We see it within the coaches. I truly believe that we’re taking steps. We’re making strides where guys who went through the stuff right now are going to come back next year and things will change. Things will change.”

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(Top photo of Jordan James: John Fisher / Getty Images)

MADISON, Wis. — Oregon had yet to score a touchdown on Saturday night when “Jump Around” blared throughout Wisconsin’s Camp Randall Stadium, signaling the start of the fourth quarter.

The top-ranked Ducks trailed and faced fourth-and-9. Oregon coach Dan Lanning considered taking a delay of game penalty and punting. Instead, he put his trust in quarterback Dillon Gabriel. And once again, the Heisman Trophy contender delivered.

Unable to find an open receiver, Gabriel scrambled left before threading a pass through a trio of Wisconsin defenders into the chest of tight end Terrance Ferguson for a first down at the Badgers’ 26-yard line. Three plays later, the Ducks scored their only touchdown.

That was all need they needed. Oregon survived with a 16-13 victory to remain unbeaten.

According to ESPN Research, the Ducks are the only team in the country to win three times this season after trailing by at least six points in the fourth quarter. They’re also just the seventh team in the AP Poll era (since 1936) to start 11-0 with three wins by three or fewer points. Oregon also rallied for wins against Boise State and Ohio State, by a combined margin of four points.

“It’s hard to win. Big plays need to happen in big moments,” said Gabriel, who passed for 219 yards versus the Badgers. “Winning games are hard, and we have a team that knows how to win. That just speaks volumes about the guys we have.”

The Ducks didn’t make it easy.

Oregon twice settled for field goals in the first half after promising drives. Gabriel also had a pass tipped and intercepted on first-and-goal.

With Oregon’s offense scuffling, the Badgers gradually took control with a methodical rushing attack led by running back Tawee Walker, who finished with 97 yards.

The Badgers led 13-6 to begin the fourth quarter and seemed headed for their first win over a No. 1 team since toppling Ohio State in 2010.

But momentum swung back in Oregon’s favor after “Jump Around,” Wisconsin’s famed tradition. The Ducks played the song all week during practice to prepare them for the trip.

To begin the fourth quarter, Lanning told Gabriel to take the delay of game penalty if the Badgers showed zone coverage against Oregon’s triple slant play.

“[They] were in the look that we liked and then they actually checked out of that look,” Lanning said. “But our guys did a good job of executing the scramble drill.

“We probably had a little good luck there — and an impressive play by Dillon to keep it alive and find somebody down the field.”

Two possessions later, the Ducks added the winning field goal. Gabriel’s 8-yard scramble on third down helped set up a chip shot for kicker Atticus Sappington, who nailed the 24-yard attempt with just over two minutes to play.

Oregon’s defense did the rest, forcing a turnover on downs then a tipped ball that resulted in an interception on Wisconsin’s final drive.

The Ducks will have a bye before hosting Washington on Nov. 30 in the regular-season finale. If they win, they’ll have a chance to secure the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff with another victory in the Big Ten championship game.

“We can handle critical moments,” Lanning said. “We can handle when it’s tough, and at some point, that experience is going to pay off for us. It certainly paid off for us tonight.”