Ben Oberto
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Ben Oberto, the New Berlin man originally reported missing on Thursday died following a crash in Rosemont.
The New Berlin Police Department, with help from the Illinois State Police, confirmed that on Friday, Nov. 15, at about 3:40 p.m., troopers found Oberto’s Subaru Impreza overturned in a creek.
ISP said Oberto was involved in a single-vehicle accident on the curve of the I-90 eastbound ramp to I-294 northbound near O'Hare Airport.
Rosemont Police Department divers located a body inside the vehicle, later identified as Oberto.
The accident is currently under investigation by the Illinois State Police.
Oberto's company, Massanois LLC, issued a statement on his passing, shared below:
"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. 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. Ben’s unflagging work ethic and "can-do" spirit have played a vital role in the Massanois story; the next chapter will not be the same without him.
"We look forward to gathering to celebrate Ben’s life together, with both tears and laughter, as we mourn his loss."
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
Original story (reported on Friday)
A New Berlin woman is searching for answers after her husband went missing on a work trip to Illinois earlier this week.
Ben Oberto, a father of two, was last seen leaving a restaurant in Crystal Lake. His wife said no one has heard from him or seen him since Wednesday night, Nov. 13.
"I miss him. I miss him a lot," said Laura Leatherberry. "I just want him to be alive, and I don’t know."
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New Berlin man missing, last seen in Illinois
A New Berlin woman is searching for answers after her husband went missing on a work trip to Illinois earlier this week.
Leatherberry said she last spoke to her husband around 6 p.m. on Wednesday. He told her he was working and was "probably going to be home in a couple of hours." When she hadn't heard from him, she tried to call around 10 p.m.
"I called my husband, and it went straight to voicemail," she said. "I just knew something was off."
Oberto is a wine representative. Surveillance video showed him leaving 1776 Restaurant in Crystal Lake just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday. He headed to his car – a 2019 Subaru Impreza with Wisconsin plates ANJ-2349 – and used his I-PASS at the Elgin toll around 9:30 p.m. His phone last pinged in Rosemont 15 minutes later.
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"We don’t know what happened to him in Rosemont," said Leatherberry.
The New Berlin Police Department and Illinois detectives are working together to locate Oberto. Anyone with information is asked to call the New Berlin Police Department at 262-782-6640.
New Berlin man missing, last seen in Illinois
A New Berlin woman is searching for answers after her husband went missing on a work trip to Illinois earlier this week.
Timeline
- Traveled for a work dinner to the 1776 Restaurant in Crystal Lake, Illinois on Wednesday, Nov. 13.
- Surveillance video shows he left 1776 Restaurant at 8:56 p.m., and his car left the parking lot at 9:02 p.m.
- Paid his last toll using his I-PASS at 9:27 p.m. at Plaza 9 – Elgin, going east and using I-90 to get to I-94, where his iPhone last pinged at 9:47 p.m. in Rosemont, Illinois.
Police determined Oberto never got on any flights or entered O'Hare International Airport, but his phone has gone dead. Police also checked the area and found no signs of Oberto, his vehicle or his phone at any businesses, hotels, morgues or hospitals.