Some may consider it a harmless juvenile prank, but the apparenttrend of stealing county road signs could result in tragedy for anunsuspecting motorist.

District Three Supervisor Nolan Williamson reports that in thepast week he has replaced 30 stop signs and 911 street signs in thesouth Lincoln County district. The signs, he said, not only costtaxpayers in monetary terms but may cost someone their life if anemergency vehicle cannot identify a county road at a time whenevery minute counts.

Williamson’s biggest concern, however, is at the closed railroadbridge in Bogue Chitto. Signs placed at the bridge warning of itsdanger are regularly removed. He fears that an unsuspecting truckdriver may try to cross the bridge.

The sign theft problem is not limited to District Three but is acounty-wide problem — a problem that needs to be addressed byparents.

Kids may think a sign hanging in a bedroom is neat, but thatsign may result in a senseless tragedy if a motorist is unaware ofa problem or if an emergency vehicle becomes lost.