If you were driving near the Topsham Fair Mall on August 7 and saw a panhandler in the median wearing a yellow shirt and holding a cardboard sign, it was actually a Sheriff's Deputy.

Deputy Zach Kinderlan was looking for distracted drivers by posing as a panhandler. His cardboard sign read "Hello! I'm a Deputy and if you're texting, you're about to get a ticket." He was also wearing a police radio and a badge.

News Center Maine was in Topsham that day to talk with Deputy Kinderland about the distracted driving detail.

The detail was funded by the Maine Bureau of Highway Safety to help reduce distracted driving. We're not sure how many tickets were written, but if nothing else, it was a clever reminder to drivers to put the phone down and concentrate on the road.

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