Chaos Erupts on California Freeway After Armored Truck Spills Loads of Cash

The incident occurred Friday morning on Interstate 5 in Carlsbad, California. Police say they arrested a man and woman on suspicion of taking some of the money.

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Two people were arrested this week on suspicion of grabbing money that flew from an armored truck traveling on a California highway.

According to FOX5 San Diego, chaos ensued Friday morning after the truck dropped loads of cash on Interstate 5 in Carlsbad. Footage of the incident shows motorists pulling over, exiting their cars, and pocketing some of the money. One video, posted by social media influencer Demi Bagby, shows drivers and passengers on the freeway scrambling to get their hands on the bills.

“This is the most insane thing I’ve ever seen. Someone dropped money all over the freeway,” she says, before picking up wads of cash and throwing them in the air. “San Diego has shut down. Literally it has shut down … Literally everyone stopped on the freeway … This is insane.”

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Curtis Martin said the the truck had departed from San Diego and was enroute to a Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. office. Law enforcement did not indicate how much money spilled on to the freeway, but said most of the bills were $1s and $20s.

“One of the doors popped open and bags of cash fell out,” Martin told reporters, per the San Diego Tribune. “One of the bags broke apart, and there was cash all over the lanes.”

The frenzy began around 9 a.m., and the scene wasn’t cleared until about two hours later. Officers confirmed they arrested a a man and woman at the scene, after they reportedly locked themselves out of their car with cash in hand. Martin also said the CHP was working with the FBI in an effort to retrieve the money that was illegally taken on the highway.

“I highly suggest to anybody that picked up cash out here — it’s not your cash, so turn it in immediately to the CHP office in Vista,” he said.

Martin said that by mid-afternoon about a dozen people went to the department to return the money they had collected. It’s unclear how much money has been handed over.

“People are bringing in a lot,” Martin said. “People got a lot of money.”

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