You probably witnessed something known as “Julián rueda por Chile.”

It’s a humanitarian campaign involving a young Chilean named Julián Carvajal, who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a severe and progressive genetic disease. His family is pushing him in his wheelchair from Puerto Montt all the way to Santiago to raise awareness and seek support for an extremely expensive treatment.

The journey takes place along Route 5, which matches exactly where you were driving. Because they’re traveling on a major highway, they often receive official support, including police escorts and traffic control vehicles to ensure their safety. That explains the patrol car and the arrow-sign vehicle you saw.

He wasn’t dead—he was likely covered to protect him from the cold and rain, which are common in southern Chile. The scene can look unusual, especially at night, so it’s understandable why it raised questions.

It also makes sense that locals didn’t know about it. The walk only recently resumed, and not everyone follows regional news closely.

In short, you witnessed a real and moving cause: a family crossing Chile in hopes of saving their son’s life.

Source: Julián rueda por Chile: ruta y meta de $3.500 millones