Semi-trucks causing property damage in Boonville

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) – A Boonville man says he’s dealing with a semi-truck problem. Recent construction in town is leading to trucks ending up in his yard.

For about the past year, some people in Boonville have been dealing with some unwelcome guests in the neighborhood, causing property damage and tearing up their lawns. These aren’t unsavory characters or even wildlife, it’s semi-trucks.

Cary Black is a semi-truck driver who understands all the many rules associated with his profession.

“For one, you should never have a semi in a residential area, ever,” said Black.

Despite that, a truck driver used his lawn to get through town on Tuesday.

“It almost sounded like he hit my house because not only did he come through my yard, but he took the side off the telephone pole,” said Black.

Cary, as well as several of his neighbors, say this isn’t a new problem. For about a year, Third Street in Boonville has been under construction, which has led some semi-truck drivers to use residential areas to get through town.

Boonville city officials say there are signs directing truck drivers to use a bypass to get around town, and they’ve given citations to multiple drivers who go through neighborhoods. They say truck drivers can be fined $500 if they’re caught where they shouldn’t be.

Cary says the signs haven’t always been enough.

“There are posted weight-limit signs posted all up and down this road that are ignored every day of the week,” said Black.

Cary says this has happened before on his property, but the cuts in his lawn haven’t been this deep before. He says he set up poles at the edge of his lawn to keep trucks off his grass, but the truck just knocked them over.

“It’s very frustrating. It’s very frustrating, I just don’t know what else to do,” said Black.

Some of the people I spoke with today are unsure if it will entirely fix the problem, but they’re hoping to see things improve once road construction on Third Street is done.

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