Driver fined 2.7 mln for bridge collapse

A truck driver was given three years in jail and a fine of 2.738 million (about 447,000 US dollars) after he was found guilty of causing a bridge in Beijing to collapse in 2011, a Beijing court said Wednesday.

Zhang Wenjun stood his second trial Wednesday in Beijing's No. 2 Intermediate People's Court after he appealed to overturn the previous judgement that sentenced him to four years in prison with a penalty of 15.56 million yuan.

On July 19, 2011, Zhang from Hebei province drove an overloaded truck filled with sand onto a concrete bridge in Huairou of Beijing's suburbs, causing it to collapse.

Zhang was found responsible for the collapse of the Baihe Bridge because the heavy truck he drove was 160 tonnes, above the limits.

He was sentenced to four years in prison for the crime for the traffic accident and was given a fine equivalent to the cost of the damage to the bridge, according to the rules of the Beijing Huairou Court in July 2012.

Zhang appealed in September, arguing that his truck had not been responsible for the collapse and that he would never be able to pay off such a hefty fine.

The case has stirred great controversy on the Internet as netizens suspected that the bridge has been poorly maintained, which may have been a factor contributing to the accident.

The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court said the bridge was in good condition before the collapse.

The value of the bridge was again estimated in the second trial at 2.738 million yuan, the court said.