Jurisdiction

Carthage - Smith County, Tennessee

Speed Trap Location

I-40 between Mile Markers 250 & 286

Nearest Reference Point

n/a

GPS Coordinates

n/a

Time of Day

Any time

Level of Enforcement

Some

Type of Enforcement

Radar

Date

5/2001

This section of I-40 is famous among locals. THere are many hiding places where motorists are caught before they even se the car. Especially Mile markers 273, 263 & 261 on the west bound side of I-40. Uses unmarked cars as well as regular veheciles. Main source of income for the county!

Comment (10/2002): We were singeled out I believe because we were from Memphis. The THP COP was not nice whan I asked him why he pulled us out of a line of cars doing the same speed. He asled what we were doing up there? He also asked if I knew anyone in that area? I told him Pauline and Al Gore. He kept us there for an hour while he contacted everyone (maybe the FBI) to see if we were wanted anywhere else. We are an elderly couple driving a Vanilla Cadillac.Our Daughter was stopped in the same place for the same reason. We had driven all over the East Coast and NOT been stopped for any violation. I paid the $80 ticket with regrets.

Comment (12/2002): This section is patroled mostly by THP and the 15th Judical Drug Task Force, and as opposed to the comment that the county is milking this section for revenue... it all goes to the state!

Comment (7/2002): THP runs a muck in this area, watch out! i was in the middle of 4 cars all doing the same speed. he pulled me over and when i asked why, he said because of my tinted windows. he then wrote me a ticket for $157.50 for doing 80 in a 70. this was also my first ticket ever in 10 years of driving. thanks a lot to the FINE THP officers in SMITH county for working so hard.

Comment (3/2003): All the money does NOT go to the state; the county gets a cut, even when the ticket is written by a Trooper. Also, watch out if you ever choose to get off an exit in Smith County. The local cops in Carthage and Gordonsville are legendary around here. My wife drives every day all the way from our home in rural Smith County to work in Nashville, and has received numerous tickets, but every one of them has been at home in Smith County (so much for discriminating against out-of-towners).