Jessie Johnson remembers clearly the night her brother ran his car off a worn-looking bridge on Artman Road. &uot;I saw him in so much pain,&uot; said she said. &uot;It was raining. … It really was terrible.&uot; The bridge in question connects Adams and Jefferson counties. The bridge, which Johnson says dates back at least 30 years, is made of wood and is covered with boards for vehicles to drive across.

A railing placed on either side of the bridge is missing in sections.

On a rainy night on March 15, Johnson’s brother, Charles Griffin, was crossing the bridge to visit her Church Hill residence when his Chevy pickup slipped off the boards and over the side to the ground about 15 to 20 feet below.

He was able to crawl out of his overturned truck, but his hip was broken in three places, Johnson said.

&uot;It will be a long time before he’ll be able to work or do anything like that,&uot;&160;she said.

Friends finally came along and helped Griffin out of the ditch while waiting for an ambulance, she said.

Johnson said she had seen at least three accidents at the bridge in the past year and now she wonders if something can be done to improve the bridge.

&uot;We deserve better,&uot; she said. &uot;You know we pay taxes just like anybody else.&uot;

Adams County Road Manager Russell Dorris said he did not know parts of the railing were missing, but he said the county can take care of that quickly.

The county had just fixed the railing the end of last year, he said.

Dorris described the bridge as low traffic and said it in itself is still considered structurally sound.

&uot;The bridge didn’t fail&uot; during the accident, he said.

Jim Marlow, an engineer for the county, also believes the bridge is in good condition.

&uot;As far as being safe for traffic it is,&uot; Marlow said.

The county has some old bridges that are actually posted closed, he added.

However, if the Adams County Board of Supervisors decided to work on the bridge, it could be done once funds became available.

&uot;Eventually we would like to replace all the (timber-wood) bridges,&uot; he added.