THP Spots Several Violations in ‘Operation Incognito’

The Tennessee Highway Patrol spotted several violations along Upper Cumberland roadways during Operation Incognito Tuesday.

THP Lieutenant Jimmy Neal says the operation was a success.

“I’m pretty pleased. I think we saw a multitude of violations as the bus was rolling down the road,” Neal says. “We were up high enough and we could see inside a lot of these vehicles. We saw everything from passengers texting and driving to even a commercial vehicle texting and driving.”

Members of the THP and Cookeville Police Department partnered for the mission. A bus of THP troopers traveled to from Cookeville to Sparta and Livingston via Highway 111, then westbound on I-40 before heading back to the THP headquarters in Cookeville.

Cookeville Police Captain Randy Brown says some of the citations spotted during the trip were surprising, including a child standing in a car seat unrestrained.

“We definitely want to protect our children because they are our future, so that was probably the biggest thing that I had seen,” Brown says. “Texting and driving in a commercial vehicle is also a big no-no. Because of the weight and the size of those vehicles it makes it even more dangerous.”

Several issues spotted by the THP and area law enforcement went beyond texting while driving, including multiple window tint and seat belt violations.

“In a perfect world we would have no violations but that’s why we continue to partner with each other and other agencies to try and keep the roads safe,” Neal says. “We try to also make sure that the public is knowledgeable as to what they’re on the road with.”

Neal says an official citation count from Tuesday’s operation will be released at a later time.