Using Dump Trucks, Police Issue 113 Citations

State troopers blanketed roads in Baltimore and Harford counties recently in some unusual vehicles, according to Maryland State Police.

Officers were out in dump trucks checking the roads for distracted drivers last week for seven hours, resulting in dozens of traffic stops between Delaware and the Baltimore City line, police reported.

Once distracted driving was spotted using the dump trucks, officers from various agencies pulled over the drivers along Interstate 95 and educated them about the dangers of distracted driving.

Here are the results of the distracted driving initiative, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27, police said:

• 172 drivers stopped
• 113 citations
• 111 warnings
• One safety equipment repair order
• Four commercial vehicles inspected with one driver and one vehicle taken off the road
• Two drivers found with suspended licenses

The Baltimore County Police Department; Maryland Transportation Authority Police; Harford County Sheriff’s Office,; and troopers from the JFK Highway, Bel Air, and North East barracks participated.

While the initiative that police dubbed "Operation Trojan Horse" was planned to recognize Distracted Driving Awareness Month, officials said that the success with the dump trucks was so successful that they are planning to use the dump trucks for future enforcement efforts.

Pictured, Sgt. Michael Smart drove a Maryland Transportation Authority dump truck on Wednesday, April 27, to check roads for distracted drivers. Photo Credit: Maryland State Police.