Dozens of motorists received summonses in Dunellen Wednesday after a police officer swapped his regular uniform for leaves in an effort to get to the root cause of distracted driving on a busy roadway.

Instead of sitting behind the wheel of a patrol car, the officer blended into the greenery as part of the Dunellen Police Department's Distracted Driving Enforcement Detail on Washington Avenue.

"Did you spot our 'shrub' today? If you had your head buried in your phone, probably not," Dunellen police posted on Facebook following the enforcement.

The enforcement detail focused on the highly trafficked, pedestrian-heavy downtown area. The goal of the undercover operation was to help identify drivers using their phones behind the wheel. By the end of the day, police issued 74 citations to distracted drivers with the help of the shrub-suited officer.

"Let this be a reminder: That text or notification can wait," police posted. "Keep your eyes on the road, not your screen"