Wisconsin State Patrol Nixes Front-Loading Leaf Trucks

The Wisconsin State Patrol has forced the city of Neenah to find another method of collecting leaves after an accident that critically injured a pedestrian.

The patrol says Neenah’s seven leaf collection trucks violate state law. The trucks have a front-mounted leaf collector. And Sgt. Tim McGrath says that poses vision problems.

Earlier this month, 43-year-old Daniel Robinson was struck and critically injured by a leaf collection truck in Neenah. He remains hospitalized.

Public works officials say the collection units could be moved to the back of the trucks, but it isn’t a quick fix. The change would also turn what had been a one-person operation to a two-person job.

WLUK-TV reports that for now the city is raking the leaves off the curbs and using front-end loaders to deposit them in dump trucks.