The family of Henrrich Alvarez-De La Sancha has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Metra after the Elgin man was killed when an eastbound freight train struck the snow-removal equipment he was operating at Naperville’s downtown station on Dec. 1, 2025. The complaint claims the commuter railroad failed to provide adequate warnings and protections for workers on or near the platform. The filing seeks more than $50,000 and asks a Cook County judge to hold Metra responsible for the loss.
Suit Details And Local Response
The complaint, filed July 10 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges Metra “provided insufficient roadway worker protection and did not provide sufficient warning of the freight train,” according to the Daily Herald. Naperville City Manager Doug Krieger issued a statement confirming the Dec. 1 collision at the downtown station and calling the death “a profound tragedy,” as posted by the City of Naperville. Metra did not immediately comment.
Family's Claims And Next Steps
The suit, brought by Sherlin Cruz as the independent administrator of Alvarez-De La Sancha’s estate, contends Metra “owed a duty to maintain the tracks, right of way, and the Naperville station in accordance with state and federal rules,” as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Lawyers for the family told the Tribune they plan to amend the complaint to add BNSF Railway as a defendant, and attorney Ben Crane said Metra must ensure contractors and subcontractors follow on-track safety rules.
Federal Rules At Issue
The family’s lawyers point to federal roadway-worker protection rules that require railroads and contractors to adopt on-track safety programs, provide training and issue warnings when trains will be moving through work zones. The Federal Railroad Administration’s Roadway Worker Protection guidance (49 CFR Part 214) explains employers, whether railroads or contractors, are responsible for training and supervising workers “on or about the track,” a standard central to the lawsuit; see the Federal Railroad Administration.
A Troubling Suburban Pattern
The Naperville lawsuit comes amid other recent incidents in which crews or small snow-removal vehicles were struck near commuter tracks, raising fresh questions about training and platform work protocols. In January, a Village of Bartlett public-works employee died after a Metra train hit a small snowplow, local reporting noted, underscoring the risks crews face around stations and crossings, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Local leaders say the string of cases has renewed focus on who is responsible for worker safety at shared facilities.
What Happens Next
The case will proceed in Cook County and the family is seeking compensation for lost income, funeral costs and “severe mental pain and anguish”; the complaint seeks more than $50,000, according to the Daily Herald. Attorneys told the Chicago Tribune they intend to add BNSF, which owns the tracks, to the suit, a move that could broaden the dispute over which entity controls platform safety. For now, officials say they will cooperate with investigators and allow the courts to sort liability as the legal process plays out.
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