A wrecker had to extract a U-Haul truck wedged beneath a railroad underpass Monday afternoon after its driver apparently misjudged the height limits.
Just after 1 p.m., Ulysses Neal Jr., 61, of the 900 block of South 11th Street was operating a 2017 Ford cargo van northbound on F Street, according to Patrolman Dustin Barks' accident report.
Neal, Barks said, allegedly attempted to drive under the bridge supporting the overhead train tracks, but was too tall and struck the bridge.
Barks said Neal was unable to drive the U-Haul forward or back up, and a wrecker had to remove it from under the bridge.
"More than likely, he was loaded when the truck went under," which would have weighed the truck down, but "I'm just speculating some there," said Donnie Trout, deputy police chief.
Neal, Trout said, isn't the first to get a vehicle stuck in that location. Other U-Haul vans, as well as rent-to-own delivery trucks, also have become stuck.
Trout encouraged drivers to know the height of their vehicles and pay attention to the posted height limits on overpasses.
In this instance, the height limit, which is posted only on the south side of the overpass, is 9 feet.
U-Haul vehicles, according to Trout, usually have their height posted on them.
"When you rent a U-Haul truck, you may not be used to driving a taller truck; that's something to be aware of," Trout said.
The way around the South F Street underpass is to go east on F Street (County Road 604) to Highway AA, then turn left on the highway and take it to Highway B, which comes into town, Trout said.
"That's basically the only way around. ... We've used that route for years for trucks going over to Clinton Park," Trout said. " ... Pretty much everyone knows the route through there."
Trucks and trailers, according to Trout, can't use the other railroad crossings on B and C streets because they are too low, and it's such a steep grade.
"They high-center over the tracks," Trout said.