Some Neenah city trucks banned

CREATED Oct. 23, 2012

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NEENAH, WI--Some Neenah city trucks banned from the road for safety reasons. The State Patrol says equipment on the city's leaf collection trucks blocks the driver's view. One truck hit a man earlier this month causing life-threatening injuries.

The State Patrol says a vehicle with anything suspended in front of the windshield is a violation. That's a concern to cities and towns across our area because all kinds of utility trucks are made that way.

Leaf collection is now a lot tougher in Neenah. A job that used to take one person and a truck now takes five people and all kinds of equipment. But it's what the city has to do to avoid a citation from the State Patrol.

"The problem is, at least from the state patrol's point of view, is that a column here blocks the view of the driver" said Larry Wettering, director of Public Works and Utilities for the city of Neenah.

  Wettering says it's a costly problem to fix.

"We may have to replace trucks or reconfigure them. Somehow moving the vaccum system to the back. If we do that we'll have to use extra staff"  said Wettering.

It's a problem other cities, like Menasha, face as well. Their utility trucks have equipment up front and wonder if their equipment could be banned too.

"Is this a violation of the statute? These manufacturers are building these machines all over the country just for this type of use" said Tim Jacobson, superintendent for Menasha Public Works.

Since the accident this month the state patrol has been contacting municipalities to warn them about law.

"We put them on notice...Asking them do you have equipment like this? If you do it is a view obstruction and it is illegal" said Sgt. Tim McGrath with Wisconsin's State Patrol.

 The man involved in the accident with the leaf blowing truck has been upgraded to fair condition.

Meanwhile, the public works superintendent in Menasha has contacted local lawmakers to find a solution.