Deputies in Thomas County are stepping up patrols on New Hope Road to stop mud bogging. They warn violators could face felony charges and jail time.
Mud bogging is tearing deep ruts into New Hope Road, making it unsafe for families and impassible for ambulances, fire trucks, and farmers. Sheriff Tim Watkins says the damage forces the county to spend thousands of taxpayer dollars on regrading and resurfacing. Watch the video to see what deputies are doing to stop neighbors from mud bogging.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Tearing up roads and risking safety. That’s what deputies say mud bogging is doing in Thomas County.
I’m showing you why neighbors are complaining and how law enforcement is responding.
Deputies say the heavy rain this summer is giving people the perfect excuse to mud bog.
They’ll wait until the dirt roads are soaked and soft, then bring out their trucks and side-by-sides, cutting deep ruts into New Hope Road.
“We don’t mind anyone trail riding the dirt roads in the county. But when you purposely tear up the roads just for your own amusement and make those roads impassable, then you’re putting a burden on the county. So the taxpayers have to pay for those roads to be regraded, resurfaced, and they’re just completely torn up,” said Thomas County Sheriff Tim Watkins.
Sheriff Watkins says New Hope Road is more than just a back road. It’s a dirt cut-through stretching from Boston down to Metcalf.
It’s used daily by emergency vehicles, deputies, even farmers hauling equipment.
But the damage makes it impossible for ambulances and fire trucks to pass, blocks tractors from moving safely, and leaves families living along the road stranded after every rainstorm.
“It’s terrible. I call it disgraceful. Every time I come down here in my service truck, I say it’s a flat-out disgrace. It’s a shameful disgrace. Nothing ever gets done about it. It just gets worse every year,” said Rick Lastinger, a neighbor.
I met Rick Lastinger while checking the road conditions. He’s lived here since 1996, nearly 30 years
“You can’t hardly get down it when you’ve got to go somewhere like me. I’ve got my own business. I do service calls on the clients. A lot of times I had to go to Monticello, so I come this way as a shortcut. Sometimes you just can’t because it’s just so terrible,” said Lastinger.
But now, the Sheriff’s Office is on a mission to stop the mud bogging.
They’re stepping up patrols, installing surveillance cameras, and warning drivers this is the last chance before arrests and impoundments start.
“It will not be tolerated. You will be arrested. Your equipment, your vehicles will be impounded, and you will have to go to court and pay a fine,” said Watkins.
And neighbors couldn’t be more grateful.
“I don’t believe what I’m seeing. It’s been a long time coming,” said Lastinger.
Sheriff Watkins tells me the people tearing up New Hope Road include both adults and teens. He says the problem is impacting several other locations as well.
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