A Granite City mother has taken Norfolk Southern to federal court after a rail yard accident cost her 13-year-old daughter both legs. The lawsuit, filed April 24, 2026, stems from an April 5, 2024 incident in which Serenity McMillan was run over by a train while crossing Norfolk Southern’s AO Smith rail yard on Missouri Avenue. The complaint says a tank car suddenly lurched as Serenity tried to cross, trapping her and forcing emergency responders to amputate her legs at the scene in order to free her.
The suit seeks damages for Serenity’s catastrophic physical injuries along with emotional distress claims for her sister and mother. The complaint describes the AO Smith yard as surrounded by residential neighborhoods and alleges it lacks effective fencing or warning signs. It also claims that pedestrian crossings just north and south of the area had been closed, leaving locals with no practical way to get across other than cutting through the rail yard itself, according to the Belleville News‑Democrat.
Case moved to federal court
The family first filed in Madison County Circuit Court, but Norfolk Southern shifted the case to federal court on April 24, 2026. The matter is now pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, where it is captioned Scott et al v. Norfolk Southern Railway Company et al. Defense lawyers have entered appearances, and the court has given the parties until May 15, 2026 to say whether they agree to proceed before the assigned magistrate judge, according to Justia Dockets & Filings.
How the family says the accident unfolded
According to the complaint, Serenity and two other girls were walking to the Granite City Soccer Complex around 6:30 p.m. on April 5, 2024 when they ran into a problem that is familiar to many rail-side residents: a parked train blocking a pedestrian crossing. The filing says the girls tried to climb over the end platform of a tank car to get across. As Serenity was on the car, it allegedly lurched, she fell between two cars, and her legs were struck and became lodged in a switch, per the Madison‑St. Clair Record.
Emergency crews amputated both legs at the scene because another train was approaching and there was no time to safely extricate her otherwise, the complaint states. In the days that followed, Serenity’s mother launched an online GoFundMe campaign to help cover medical and household costs as the family confronted long-term recovery and accessibility needs, as reported at the time by the Belleville News‑Democrat.
Neighbors rally to help
The accident sent shockwaves through nearby blocks where trains are part of the daily backdrop. Neighbors, classmates and local groups quickly organized meal trains, small fundraisers and steady donations for the family. Coverage highlighted a taco fundraiser and continuing support through the GoFundMe page, underscoring how tightly packed rail lines and homes are in Granite City and how personally locals take incidents along the tracks, according to RiverBender.
Legal implications
The complaint accuses Norfolk Southern of negligence, infliction of emotional distress, and willful and wanton conduct. It seeks both compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of Serenity and the other girls who were with her, the suit states. Procedurally, the case is still in its opening phase in federal court, with scheduling steps and consent filings on the docket rather than any full-blown legal battles yet, per the Madison‑St. Clair Record.
Norfolk Southern has not yet filed a substantive response to the allegations. For now, the case will move forward in the Southern District of Illinois as both sides prepare pretrial motions and, if it gets that far, discovery. Neighbors and youth sports organizers say they will be paying close attention to how the lawsuit addresses pedestrian safety in and around active rail yards that run alongside their homes and playing fields.
