Thousands of dollars blowing in the wind and drifting to Earth like manna from heaven. Dozens of motorists stopping along a heavily traveled road and running around plucking as many bills as they can.
It sounds like a scene from a Hollywood comedy, but it was no laughing matter to Upper St. Clair police and the owner of a courier van service that lost more than $100,000 on Wednesday afternoon on Route 19 between Boyce Road and the Washington County line.
The Fidelity Courier Services van was traveling south when a passing motorist stopped it about 1 p.m. The back door was flapping open, the motorist reported, and bags of cash were falling out, with money blowing around and strewn for a hundred yards along the highway, Lt. James Englert said.
"By the time they turned around and went back, there were a number of vehicles pulled over; numerous people were out of their cars; a number of people were picking up money," Englert said.
Fidelity president David Cuda had no comment, according to a woman who answered the company phone.
Michael Evans, 39, of Bethel Park was driving north when he saw bags and what he thought were pieces of paper on the pavement. "I didn't really understand what it was until I got closer and saw it was cash.
"When the wind picked up, there was money flying everywhere," he said. "There were people stopping their cars in the middle of the street, grabbing money."
He drove a few hundred yards down the road, waited for a red light and turned around.
"It was kinda unbelievable how much I saw on the road when I passed and how little there was left when I got back," said Evans, who found $60 and turned it over to police.
Police recovered several hundred dollars, but "plastic bags containing well into six figures of cash" disappeared, said Englert.
"One bag ruptured, and that accounted for the loose cash," he said.
"Technically, this is a theft. It is not Christmas come early," Englert said, asking anyone who picked up money to return it.
"We are certainly willing to allow a substantial grace period to anyone who picked up the cash to do the right thing and return it without fear of prosecution," Englert said. "Now that the word is out and everyone knows what led to the cash being strewn about, there is a potential of theft charges to be filed against anyone who fails to do the right thing."
Fidelity Courier Services, a private security services company based in Sharon, is offering a reward for the return of the money, Englert said.
A driver and an armed guard were in the van, transferring the cash to a different bank, Englert said. Police questioned them and motorists who did not drive off before officers arrived.
Anyone who saw others picking up cash or with information about the incident is asked to call police at 412-833-7500.
Copyright 2011 Tribune Review Publishing CompanyAll Rights Reserved
