'Unimaginable:' Community Mourns Oak Forest Man Who Fell From Overpass

OAK FOREST, IL — A family and community are grieving, following a tragic turn of events that took the life of a 26-year-old Oak Forest man known for his giving, caring nature.

David Adrian Ponce de Leon was involved in a car crash on the Dan Ryan Expressway on Dec. 3, and had stepped out of his vehicle to get the other driver's information, when he witnessed a crash behind them. He was on the shoulder near the passenger side of his car, and approaching the second crash to check on those involved, when another driver reportedly swerved around the collision, setting in motion a heartbreaking chain of events.

The other driver struck de Leon's car, which then hit de Leon and pushed him over the highway barrier onto the roadway below. He died at the scene. The driver of the car who hit his was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid a crash, reports WJOL.

"It’s unimaginable and absolutely devastating," said de Leon's girlfriend, Ady Saenz, 33. "... it's unheard of. It's just unheard of."

Those who knew him were shocked to hear of his death, but not surprised that he had tried to help those involved in the crash.

"That’s who he was," Saenz said. "He would see accidents, he would see a stranded car, and he would just want to pull over and help. He was just like that. All he thought about was helping others."

A graduate of Arbor Park District 145 and Oak Forest High School, de Leon is beloved in the community, known for his warm personality and big heart.

"The kid just had a ginormous heart," said longtime friend Bill Cain. Cain and friend Dane Engwall both remember de Leon as the classmate who always looked out for others.

"He’s the guy that (saw) if you didn’t have anything to eat, he’d make sure you had something," Engwall said. "... Just an all-around fantastic guy. ... If you were sad, he was the one who made you happy. As soon as he walked into a room, he brightened it up."

Engwall and de Leon worked together at Delta Sonic in Tinley Park for the last several years.

"He was an extremely hardworking man at work—never called off, never missed," Engwall said. "He was a very relied upon guy over here."

Engwall was devastated when he heard the news.

"My heart was completely shattered," he told Patch. "That kid had one of the biggest hearts in Oak Forest."

Saenz remembers a different side of de Leon: one that might come across quiet or reserved to people he didn't know, but would bubble over with energy with those close to him.

"He was a man of few words to people that didn’t know him well, but to me, and his family, and those closest to him, he was a chatterbox," Saenz said. "And playful, and he knew how to have a good time. He loved to sing and dance, and very few people got to see that side of him, because many people thought he was very serious or reserved, but he was just a sweetheart."

The two met in 2019, and quickly became inseparable. Saenz saw his influence touch her four children, too: Gabriella (7), Angelina (8), Lamar (12) and Leo (13).

"They just got along so well," Saenz said. "We spent every Christmas, holiday, birthday together. He was there for football games, there to help with homework, pay for field trips. He just cared about them, loved them. Made sure they were well. All he wanted was to be a good father figure, good role model for them, especially with the teenagers."

Oak Forest resident and de Leon's aunt Claudia Rivas remembers watching him grow up like a brother to her son, de Leon's cousin. de Leon lived with his grandmother and father as a child, often spending time at Rivas' house, she said. There, he often swam in her pool, and played with her sons.

"He was a very happy person, he liked to dance," Rivas recalled. "He was very friendly, very willing to help anyone."

de Leon had recently purchased a home in Blue Island, she said, after discovering that home prices were more affordable there. He intended to renovate it, and live there with his grandmother and father, Rivas said.

"He took care of his dad and his grandma," she said. "He was helping them pay bills. He’d tell them, 'I’m going to take care of you.'"

That protective instinct was one Saenz saw often. Though he would want to stop to help stranded drivers, he often decided against doing so if Saenz or her children were in the car with him, Saenz said.

"He always put his family first," she said. "He never would ever have done anything to put us in danger, ever. He was just so thoughtful and so caring.

"I’m sure he stopped because he was by himself. Had anyone else been with him, I don’t know if this would have happened, but that was just the true person he was."

Her children adored him, she said, some of their favorite memories of him manning the grill in the backyard, as they played fetch with the dog. He'd also fix their bikes, and other things around the house.

"He was very handy," Saenz said, adding that he was also frugal about work that needed to be done. "He was helpful. He never wanted to pay to get anything done, so he was the one taking care of all of the work."

Family have started a GoFundMe for the family of de Leon. Rivas said they hope to be able to keep the home he had purchased for his father and grandmother, and also continue to provide as much financial support as possible.

Already, the love from the community has been moving, Saenz said, which shows the impact he had on so many lives.

"It’s hard times, but the outpouring of love that he’s receiving, and that I’m receiving ... the amount of support ..." she said. "I would have never imagined to be going through this, especially when we had so many plans for the future, but the fact that he and I have received so much love and support, it’s immeasurable."

Visitation for David will be held Thursday, Dec. 8, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Marin Funeral Home, 2744 W. 51st Street, in Chicago. A chapel service will be held the same day at 6 p.m. Interment will be private.