Dante Cruz Killed In McHenry County Electrocution Accident at Farm on County Line Road

Unsafe Premises - October 30, 2025

Dante Cruz (Full Name: Dante Rico Cruz) Died In McHenry County, Illinois, Farm Accident After Being Electrocuted While Operating a Semi-Truck —-> GoFundMe Created to Help Victim’s Family

MCHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS (October 30, 2025) – A 42-year-old man identified as Dante Cruz has tragically died in a McHenry County farming accident while helping to offload grain.

McHenry County officials are saying that the accident took place around 5:31 p.m. on Monday. Dante Cruz was operating a semi-truck and assisting a farmer who was offloading grain from a tractor.

Authorities believe that the farmer’s grain chute hit overhead power lines, thereby causing them to fall. Dante Cruz attempted to help the farmer in the John Deere tractor.

But he was electrocuted after he made contact with the tractor, which was itself energized by the fallen power lines. Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene of the accident to help the victim.

Sadly, Dante Cruz was pronounced dead at the scene. A full investigation into the accident remains ongoing at this time.

You can help support the family of the victim through GoFundMe. According to the online fundraiser, “Hi my family and I are asking help to bring Dante Rico back to his family and country. Dante was a 38 year of age caring person he left behind his wife and three kids. He came here legally to work to provide for his family, and the hope to accomplish dreams.”

Liability for McHenry County Electrocution Accidents

Electrocution remains one of the leading causes of workplace injury and death in the United States. According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, “The Electrical Safety Foundation has compiled occupational electrical injury and fatality data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period 2011 through 2023. A total of 70,692 occupational fatalities occurred from all causes. 1,940 of these were due to contact with electricity.” Employers should take several actions to help protect workers from electrical hazards.

Employers should install ground-fault circuit interrupters at certain locations to protect against electrical hazards.
Employer should develop and enforce electrical safety programs.
Employers should train their workers to recognize electrical hazards. Workers should also be trained to utilize the correct lockout/tagout procedures.
Employers should provide their workers with adequate personal protective equipment for situations where they will be near electrical hazards.

Employees are barred by statute from pursuing negligence claims against their employers. Instead, most workplace injury claims are adjudicated through the workers’ compensation system. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance scheme designed to help workers and surviving family members. There is no need for an injured worker or their family to demonstrate that one or other party was at fault.

Third-Party Liability for Electrocution Accidents

Depending on the facts of any case, there could be numerous sources of third-party liability for any workplace electrocution accident. Third-party liability may be possible if an entity separate from a worker’s employer contributed to an accident. There could be numerous sources of third-party liability for any accident where a worker is electrocuted by downed power lines.

Farmers: A farmer or subcontractor that worked for a farm could face some liability for an electrocution accident if they were responsible for knocking down power lines. Heavy equipment operators must pay close attention to the location of power lines and exercise a great deal of caution to avoid colliding with them.
Equipment Manufacturers: The company that manufactured a piece of farm equipment involved in an accident could also bear some responsibility through a product liability claim. Companies have a legal obligation to create products that are reasonably safe and must warn of latent dangers.
Business Owner: The company that owned or operated a piece of farm equipment could also be liable for an accident. In Illinois, employers can be held vicariously liable for the wrongful actions of their workers who were operating within the course and scope of their job duties.

Workplace electrocutions are often highly preventable. They tend to be the result of clear safety lapses. For example, workers may not be properly trained in how to handle some piece of heavy equipment they are operating. It is important that victims and their surviving family members understand that they do have legal rights. They are able to seek some measure of accountability and justice through a wrongful death claim.

Investigating McHenry County Electrocution Accidents

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Dante Cruz. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to OSHA. This was a preventable tragedy that should have never taken place.

Do you need more information about a McHenry County electrocution accident? Our team of worker’s rights advocates is here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that workers are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected through skilled advocacy. Whether you just have legal questions or need any other type of support, we are here to serve your needs. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.