$300,000 Falls Out of an Armoured Truck in Illinois — and Locals Make a Run for It

You know those wild daydreams you get while sitting in traffic, like finding a bag of money just lying there on the road? Well, it happened. And no, it wasn’t a movie.

According to NBC Chicago, the quiet (and usually respectable) suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, turned into a real-life cash grab last week when three bags of money, totalling around $300,000, literally fell out of the back of a Brinks truck. Yes, like something out of a heist movie, only with more SUVS and fewer ski masks.

It all went down around 5:00 p.m. on Austin Boulevard. The back door of the truck “opened by unknown means” (translation: someone’s getting written up), and suddenly, a windfall of U.S. bills was fluttering across the street.

By the time Brinks circled back, the scene was pure chaos — somewhere between 50 to 100 people were spotted scooping up the cash and vanishing, on foot and in cars. It was the suburban version of a Black Friday sale, only instead of half-priced toasters, it was actual, unmarked bills.

As of Friday, no one has been arrested, despite dash cams, smartphones, and probably at least one nosy neighbour filming from their porch. The $300K is still MIA.

RELATED: What’s Your Most “Unhinged” Money-Saving Tip?

Now, Oak Park isn’t exactly known for this kind of thing — it’s more known for being safe, family-friendly, and, let’s be honest, kind of bougie. But even in the poshest neighbourhoods, if you see money flying out of an armoured truck... well, what would you do?

Would you keep walking like a morally upstanding citizen with a full grocery list? Or would you suddenly feel the urge to tie your shoe… right next to a pile of cash?

We’re not judging — just asking.