Medical Examiner Identifies 20-Year-Old Highwood Man Who Died After Falling From Interstate 94 Ramp in Chicago

CHICAGO, Ill. (November 12, 2026) — The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified a 20-year-old Highland Park High School graduate from Highwood who died after falling from an elevated Interstate 94 exit ramp onto a street below in Chicago earlier this month.

The victim was identified Wednesday as Bryan Julio Vicario Arellanes, 20, of Highwood. His death occurred on November 1 near South Lumber Street and Union Avenue, where Chicago police officers discovered him unresponsive beneath the expressway.

According to Illinois State Police, troopers assigned to Troop 3 responded around 11:48 a.m. to the 2200 block of South Lumber Street following reports of an unresponsive individual.

Chicago Fire Department paramedics had been dispatched to the intersection of Lumber Street and Union Avenue approximately ten minutes earlier, around 11:38 a.m.

Police radio communications indicated that Chicago officers were searching the area after receiving information that someone had fallen from the elevated interstate ramp. Officers subsequently located Vicario Arellanes lying on the ground below the expressway and requested emergency medical assistance.

An officer at the scene reported that the young man appeared to have suffered severe injuries consistent with a fall from the elevated roadway.

Despite the emergency response, Vicario Arellanes was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:54 a.m., according to Illinois State Police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Investigators later determined that he had fallen from the Interstate 94 exit ramp earlier that day. However, authorities have not established publicly how the fall occurred or how much time elapsed before officers discovered him.

Special agents with the Illinois State Police Division of Criminal Investigation Zone 1 responded to conduct a death investigation.

State police have indicated that the incident was not employment-related, although additional details surrounding the circumstances have not been released.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an external examination on November 2 and determined that Vicario Arellanes died from multiple injuries sustained in a fall from height. His manner of death was officially ruled accidental.

The tragedy has affected the Highwood community, where Vicario Arellanes grew up and attended school.

Born July 18, 2006, in Highland Park, Bryan was the son of Julio Vicario and Edilberta Arellanes. He graduated from Highland Park High School in 2024 and was employed as a stocker at an Amazon facility in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

According to his obituary published by Seguin & Symonds Funeral Home, Bryan was remembered as a compassionate, respectful, and devoted young man who placed tremendous importance on his family and friendships.

Family members described him as someone who consistently looked after his younger siblings, ensuring they felt protected, supported, and cared for.

His obituary also highlighted his loyalty to friends and his willingness to stand up for others, describing him as someone whose generosity and caring nature left a lasting impression on those around him.

Bryan is survived by his parents, Julio Vicario and Edilberta Arellanes; his siblings, Daysi Vicario, Adriel Santiago, and Briana Santiago; his nephew, Cyrus Morek; and his niece, Leilani Morek.

He is also survived by grandparents, godparents, extended family members, and his beloved dog, Oreo.

Family and friends gathered November 4 for visitation at Seguin & Symonds Funeral Home in Highwood.

A funeral Mass was held November 5 at Christ Our Hope Parish’s Saint James Church in Highwood, followed by burial at Ascension Cemetery in Libertyville.

The circumstances surrounding Bryan’s fall remain under investigation by Illinois State Police. Authorities have not publicly disclosed additional information explaining what led to the incident.

His death marks a devastating loss for his family, friends, and the broader Highwood and Highland Park communities, where he will be remembered for his kindness, loyalty, and devotion to those closest to him.

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