(a) Any person or persons who shall willfully or knowingly obstruct or damage any public road or highway by obstructing the side or cross drain or ditches thereof, or by turning water upon such road or highway or right-of-way, or by throwing or depositing brush, trees, stumps, logs, or any refuse or debris whatsoever in the road or highway, or on the sides or in the ditches thereof, or by fencing across or upon the right-of-way of the same, or by planting any hedge within the lines established for such road or highway, or by changing the location thereof, or shall obstruct said road, highway or drains in any other manner whatsoever, or, except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, any person or persons who shall willfully or knowingly deface, damage, destroy or remove any traffic-control device, road sign, signboard, guide sign or signpost shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.

(b) If any person or persons willfully or knowingly defaces, damages, destroys or removes any traffic-control device, road sign, signboard, guide sign or signpost and such action results in personal injury to or death of any person, the person or persons responsible for such action shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for not more than two (2) years, or by a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. Notice of this provision shall be placed in the manual provided by the Department of Public Safety which manual is issued for purpose of passing driving privilege.

(c) The governing body who finds any road or highway obstructed as above specified shall notify the person violating the provisions of this section, verbally or in writing, to remove such obstruction forthwith, and if such person does not remove the obstruction within ten (10) days after being notified, he shall pay the sum of Five Dollars ($5.00) for each and every day after the tenth day such obstruction is maintained or permitted to remain, such fine to be recovered by suit brought by the governing body in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Added by Laws 1968, c. 415, § 1213, operative July 1, 1968. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 127, § 4, emerg. eff. May 4, 1993; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 570, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 5, § 413, eff. July 1, 1999.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex.Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 570 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.