Cars Stop on I-80 for Blizzard _ of Cash

Associated Press ^ | 08/20/03 | Staff Writer

[bedolido]

GRINNELL, Iowa (AP) -- Cars on both lanes of Interstate 80 stopped to weather a swirling blizzard, but it wasn't snow. It was cash.

An eastbound armored truck somehow lost its load Tuesday night, sending money into the wind. Cars in both lanes stopped and tried to help recover the money.

The truck crew realized the money was missing near a rest stop, said Lt. Rob Hansen, a spokesman for the Iowa State Patrol.

"They knew they lost it and stopped immediately and attempted to retrieve it," Hansen said. "They don't know how or why (it was lost)."

Officers stopped three cars east of the cash spill and authorities were investigating whether the occupants had taken some of the money.

"Some folks ... attempted to benefit from the situation," Hansen said.

Hansen could not say whether the loss was part of a robbery or some other attempt to take money from the armored truck.

"To my knowledge this was the loss of property of no one's overt attempt," he said.

Hansen said the money in the area has been cleaned up.

"There is no reason for anybody to head out there," he said.

Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[woofer]

This happened five miles from my house.

And I was sleeping! Darn it.

[w1andsodidwe]

I believe my brother manages the rest stop mentioned.

[ibbryn]

Probably don't need a warrent, just probable cause.
You should, however, remember the phrase "No officer, I will not give you permission to search my car."
That keeps them on the outside, as much as possible.

[quietolong]

What ever happend to " Finders Keepers "

[1rudeboy]

For that axiom to hold (legally), then the property must be "abandoned."

[Tunehead54]

What ever happened to finders keepers, losers weepers?

I actually go WAY out of my way to return almost anything I find but what's the law here? If I drop my bag of dollar bills on a busy street on a windy day with a cop by my side, can I have him arrest anyone picking up my "lost" bills?

---

If its in a bag stamped "property of ..." that's one thing but just bills blowing around on the road?

[Our man in washington]

Iowa, heart of the midwest. Grinnell, home to a noted Quaker college. If midwestern Quakers start stealing, our nation is really in trouble.

Small town and rural America, we count on you to maintain what's left of America's values. You have to set an example here. I know us city folks do things like make amoral entertainment and go on about "moral relativism", but for the sake of the country, DON'T LISTEN TO US!!! WE'RE WRONG!

[bmwcyle]

Oh and I have to be staying in a Motel in the western border of Iowa.

[JHrules]

Most armored vehicles are carrying FDIC insured money, it is federal property (even if from a private vender because it is being delivered to or from a financial institution), as such if a box of coin, a bag of cash or even a single bill is dropped and picked up by a bystander, that bystander can be brought up on bank robbery charges if they try to keep it.
So to answer the question on finders keepers, only if you dont get caught, and on the searching, they had probable cause and that negates your right to refuse(Prob. cause is their "search warrant")

[quietolong]

If there picking up from business. Whose to say what’s yours and what there’s??
I always carry $10,000 in One dollar bills. Don’t you?

I think they would need to see you picking up to have probable cause.