ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Videos show semi-trucks and cars speeding and crossing over the double-yellow lines on a road connecting Rocky Top and Clinton — Old Lake City Highway.
"I almost got hit by on the semis. Luckily, it was avoided," said John Rose, who lives in the area of the highway. "It's a double-yellow marked road. The drivers will actually ignore the double-yellow lines and they will pass you at a high rate of speed."
He lived in the area for around eight years and said within the last four years the open road and rural fields have seen an increase in cars and commercial trucks. And despite signs saying "no trucks" and "weight restrictions," semis have moved into the area.
"What you end up seeing is a semi-truck right in front of you, in your lane," he said.
The Anderson County Sheriff's Office said in response to the increase in semi-truck traffic, deputies increased patrols in some areas and worked with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to replace old non-compliance signs with new ones. The sheriff's office said it has contacted the owners of trucks listed in complaints and issued citations.
"Most of the major compliance are the actual semi-truck traffic," said Brian Galloway, Chief Deputy of the Anderson County Sheriff's Office. "Biggest thing for us, it's being able to catch them on these roadways and identify them and issue them citations. Most of the time, by the time we get the complaints, they're gone."
The Tennessee Highway Patrol said it can't enforce signs barring semi-trucks placed by the county, and said troopers can only enforce laws on speeding. However, law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney's Office may be able to issue a misdemeanor for failing to follow a traffic control device.
"It can cause them trouble, even to lose their license, if they get so many tickets and potentially lose their job," said Galloway.