Highway I-270 near Urbana, Maryland had to be shut down for about 20 minutes this morning after a bag of cash fell off an armored car onto the fast lane. Apparently a lot of people were willing to forsake their own safety for some free money which, yeah, sounds about right.
Maryland State Police told WTOP "preliminary investigation indicates a door lock malfunctioned, causing the armored car door to open." The truck was apparently operated by GardaWorld, which assuredly got an earful when their rig reached its destination a few dollars short.
"There was no crash. Cash was strewn across the interstate, but was quickly picked up by all the motorists who immediately stopped," State Police spokesman Greg Shipley elaborated in an email to WTOP.
Seems the cash-carrying rig realized what had happened quickly, and pulled over to the shoulder where the driver observed folks making a mad grab for its spilled cash. People scattered when the cops showed up, who were able to recover "just over $200."
The total amount of money missing has not been disclosed, but Maryland PD would like to remind everybody that "motorists who picked up the cash are reminded it is not their money... Persons who took the cash from the highway and do not return the money could face theft charges if the continuing investigation leads to their identity."
That statement went on to say you can turn any recovered cash from the incident in to the Maryland State Police Frederick Barracks. No mention of whether or not that will absolve you of criminal charges.
Image by the author via Mike Mozart/Flickr