Fortunately, the only victim of a weekend bridge collapse was the Adams County taxpayer.

The Artman Road bridge apparently collapsed after a dump truck attempted to cross the bridge fully loaded.

Clearly the bridge was not in the best of shape before the accident. It was shut down for approximately four years before being repaired and put back into service for light traffic in 2013.

The bridge was marked as having a maximum weight of approximately 8,000 pounds.

That’s not very much weight. One of the dozens of large pickup trucks that drive through the area would quickly reach that weight with a full load of passengers.

The curb weight — without cargo — of the triple-axle dump truck would clearly eclipse the bridge’s maximum weight by two to three times.

Fully loaded with cargo and a driver and such a truck is capable of weighing 50,000 to 60,000 pounds.

The driver of the truck and the trucking company for whom the driver works need to be held responsible for the damage to the bridge.

The driver is fortunate to have not been seriously injured, but any trucking company worth their salt knows the law and the risks of driving a truck too heavy over something not rated for the weight.

We urge county officials to investigate the matter fully and barring some unforeseen discovery to the contrary, force the responsibly parties to pay for the damages.