Any person who by any means wilfully or negligently injures or damages any State highway is liable for the repair thereof, and the department, in the name of the people of the State of California, may recover, in an action in any court of competent jurisdiction, the amount expended for such repairs, together with the costs and expenses incurred in any such action.
Any person wilfully injuring any bridge, culvert or structure in or on any State highway is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Ca. Sts. and High. Code § 730