NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. --
A man's rare coin collection worth about $1 million was scattered along Interstate 95 when the collector's car was involved in a rollover crash near mile marker 250 on Thursday evening.
A Boca Raton couple was heading north to a coin show in Jacksonville when the back passenger-side tire blew out in Volusia County. The SUV rolled, flipping as many as five times, police said.
The rare collection went flying out of the car, spilling across the median.
The collector's wife's arm was fractured in the crash. The coin dealer's injuries were much worse.
The man initially refused to leave the scene.
"He was in pain, but he was more worried about the money," Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Darryl Haywood Jr. said.
Rescue crews convinced the dealer, who they said has heart problems, that he needed to go to the hospital.
"The pain started setting in. I think his adrenaline kicked in when it first happened," Haywood said. "I would too traveling with that kind of money."
The man tapped into his network of collectors in the area to help recover the coins.
"Eight to nine people came out with metal detectors," Haywood said. "They tried to clean up the roadway and mess as much as possible."
Troopers stayed to help, too, and a tow truck driver found $46,000 in bills in the trees.
Haywood said those trying to cash in by searching for more coins can get a ticket for stopping along the interstate and that troopers were watching the area.
Copyright 2011 by WESH.COM. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
