A coordinated effort is underway to stem the number of fatal crashes occurring in Warren County.

“I’m tired of delivering death notifications,” said Tennessee Highway Patrol Lt. Billy Prater. “I’m sure other troopers are getting tired of delivering them too. It’s not an easy thing to tell someone. I’ve been doing this for 32 years and it never gets any easier.”

There were 17 fatal crashes that resulted in 18 fatalities on Warren County roadways in 2017. So far in 2018, a Ben Lomand employee died in a head-on collision when his bucket truck was struck by a dumptruck after its driver lost control.

Prater says the campaign, which includes digital signs reminding motorists to “Buckle Up and Don’t Text and Drive” and vinyl signs warning motorists that they are entering a “High Crash Area” and of “Extra Traffic Enforcement Ahead” were placed on Highway 70S, is to raise awareness and reduce fatal crashes.

“This isn’t just about enforcement,” he said. “We’re trying to raise awareness. Warren County has a problem and we can’t solve it alone. We need drivers to do their part. Pay attention while driving. Wear your seatbelt. Don’t look at your cellphone. Don’t drink and drive. Seven of the fatal crashes in Warren County in 2017 involved some type of impairment.”

The awareness campaign is a joint effort between THP, Tennessee Highway Safety Office, Warren County Sheriff’s Department, McMinnville Police Department, and Tennessee Department of Transportation.

“This is a coordinated blitz campaign,” said Prater. “We wanted to target high-crash roads. After looking at numbers, we targeted Highway 70 this time. If the numbers change, we may do another campaign on another road.”
Sobriety checkpoints were held Friday night.