A complaint was filed in Cook County on behalf of a high school student against ComEd Monday after he was electrocuted in a train yard during a work program in July.
Hunter Wolfe, 17, died in a 12th Street rail yard while collecting samples from a train car and now his family is sending a warning.
His family and the suit says ComEd, the railroad, engineers and the company that sent him to the rail yard are responsible for his death.
"I didn't know about the hazard until it was too late," Nikko Rambo, Wolfe's mother, tells NBC 5.
Now, Rambo says, all she has left of her child are his old work boots.
Wolfe would have been heading to his senior year of high school in Streator instead being remembered by devastated family members
"I had no idea the extent of what he was doing at his job," Rambo said.
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He was allegedly sent by his employer, Luckey Transfer, as part of his work-study to climb the top of this rail car in Streator, and collect a sample from inside.
"Hunter didn't have proper training," Rambo said, "To send 17-year-old child, wrong on so many levels. I didn't know as a parent there were so many hazards."
Mark Novak, the family's attorney, says Wolfe received no training.
"This was an unspeakable tragedy which so easily could have been avoided,” Novak said.
He showed NBC 5 photos of ComEd power lines hanging above the train car and blames the engineers and railroad company.
“Hunter’s death leaves a huge void in our family and our community,” stated Nikki Rambo. “We decided to turn our anger and emotions into action. No parent should get a call that their child died while continuing their education. Whatever happened to our son needs to be explored so that other families do not have to suffer our pain and grief.”
Rambo says she hopes what happened to her son serves as a warning to other parents.
“Our thoughts are with Hunter and his family," ComEd said in a statement. "Because of pending litigation, we are not able to provide further comment at this time.”
