Coplan + Crane founding partner Ben Crane is representing the family of Henrrich Alvarez De-La Sancha, an Elgin man killed while clearing snow from the eastbound platform at the downtown Naperville Metra station on Dec. 1, 2025, when a freight train struck his snowplow.
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed in Cook County circuit court on behalf of the family, alleges that Metra failed to follow Federal Railroad Administration regulations designed to protect workers on and around the tracks. The suit also claims Metra was negligent in failing to warn of the oncoming freight train and in failing to properly train and supervise the workers assigned to the job, including Alvarez De-La Sancha.
Alvarez De-La Sancha worked for Beverly Snow and Ice Inc., a subcontractor several layers removed from Metra. According to the filing, Metra assigned snow removal duties of its tracks to BNSF, which passed the work to the city of Naperville, which in turn hired Beverly Snow and Ice. Ben argues that this chain of outsourcing doesn’t relieve Metra of its responsibility to ensure the work is done safely. Ben explained that Metra and BNSF are still obligated to make sure subcontracted workers are following federal on-track safety regulations.
This is not the first time a snowplow operator has been struck and killed by a train at a Metra stop, and Metra has faced other cases in recent years tied to train collisions. Ben and the family hope this case brings renewed attention to the safety obligations railroads owe to the workers who keep their stations running.
Read the full story here: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/21/elgin-naperville-metra-lawsuit-snowplow-driver-sancha/
