LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — Officials say a suspicious box truck on Hwy 231 in Lebanon on Sunday afternoon did not have explosives.
Captain Scott Moore with the Wilson County Sheriff's Office says the vehicle has been given all clear from explosives. Rutherford County will continue to investigate and the driver of the box truck is currently detained.
Deputies received a call about a white box truck parked at Crossroads Market around 10:30 a.m. The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said the box truck played audio similar to what was heard before an RV exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning.
Due to the investigation, Highway 231 from the Cedars of Lebanon State Park to Richmond Shop Road was shut down most of Sunday afternoon.
As a precaution, nearby residents were evacuated during the investigation into the truck.
Officials said the driver of the truck, James Turgeon, traveled from Rutherford County into Wilson County, where he was stopped on Highway 231 by deputies and detained.
Sunday night the Rutherford County Sheriff's office said Turgeon, 33, is being charged with two counts of felony filing a false report and one count of tampering with evidence.
“During the course of the investigation, it was revealed Turgeon made a similar announcement at Kings Chapel Independent Missionary Baptist Church at Jefferson Pike and Dunaway Chapel Road while church was in service,” Detective Sergeant Steve Craig said.
Craig said the tampering charge comes from Turgeon allegedly damaging the speaker system writing.
He was booked into Rutherford County Adult Detention Center and is being held on $500,000 bond.
He has a court date set for June 7.
