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Snowmobile DWIs in Capitol spotlight

The death of an eight-year-old boy on Chisago Lake has sparked action at the State Capitol, to connect the dots between drunk driving on the road and in off-road vehicles.

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The death of an eight-year-old boy on Chisago Lake has sparked action at the State Capitol, an effort to connect the dots between drunk driving on the regular roadways and the same offenses in off-road vehicles.

"If you get a DWI in your car, you incur the penalties form that DWI, but that does not affect your ability to drive your snowmobile or ATV," Rep. Anne Neu, a North Branch Republican, told reporters.

"And what this bill does is re-link those things."

The boy, Alan Geisenkoetter Jr., was with his family on the lake Jan. 26 when he was suddenly struck by a snowmobile and dragged across the ice. He died from his injuries five days later.

The driver of the snowmobile, Eric Joseph Coleman, 45, of Chisago City, had already lost his driver's license after multiple DWI arrests on roads and highways. Rep. Neu's bill, if it became law, would suspend off-road vehicle privileges for a year for anyone who gets a DWI on the roads.

It would apply to snowmobiles and ATVs.

"Everyone is just shocked and horrified that this can happen, especially said from a man had multiple convictions previously," Neu explained. "This shouldn't happen. This man should’ve never been on a snowmobile to begin with."

She acknowledged it may be difficult to completely prevent a chronic drunk driver from using off-road vehicles, but she's hopeful a person who is barred for a year won't even go to the trouble of getting their equipment prepped for the season.

That would make it more difficult to suddenly hop on a snowmobile as an impulse, Neu asserted.

She didn't ask the Geisenkoetter family to attend the hearing, but let them know it was happening so they could prepare for a new wave of media coverage.

Neu's bill made it through the House Transportation Policy Committee on Monday afternoon, and will stop next in the Environment and Natural Resources Committee.

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