US Man Withdraws 260 Million Won from Family Account and Scatters It on Highway... What Is the Punishment?

Major Traffic Congestion on Highway
Families Appeal, "If You Found Money, Please Return It"

A large sum of cash was scattered on a highway in Oregon, USA, causing panic among drivers and leading to major traffic chaos. The man who threw the money was caught by the police after a witness report and said, "I just wanted to share the money I had."

According to U.S. media on the 14th (local time), the man identified as Collin Davis McCarthy (38) threw 2,000 bills of $100 (about 130,000 KRW) notes, totaling $200,000 (about 260 million KRW), out of his car window while driving on Interstate 5 (I-5) in Eugene, the second-largest city in Oregon, at around 7:23 p.m. on the 11th.

The Oregon State Police (OSP), who responded to witness reports at the scene, stated, "People trying to pick up the bills illegally stopped their cars by the highway and walked around, obstructing traffic and creating accident risks." They tracked down McCarthy, found him, and conducted an interrogation.

When asked about his motive, McCarthy replied, "There is no special reason. I just wanted to give someone joy and share what I had."

However, his family, upon hearing the news, said, "McCarthy withdrew all the money from a family joint bank account, leaving the family penniless," and appealed, "This money is desperately needed by the family, so if anyone picked up the bills, please return them through the state police."

The police said most of the cash McCarthy scattered was recovered, but local media reported that people were still seen searching along the highway until the night of the 13th near the scene.

OSP Sergeant Jim Andrews said, "Such behavior can pose a great danger to other drivers," adding, "McCarthy could have been charged with disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment."

The police did not prosecute McCarthy and only issued a warning.

Regarding McCarthy withdrawing the entire deposit without family consent, the police stated, "There is little possibility of punishment."

The police explained, "Since the account is shared by the family and all joint depositors have equal rights, anyone who has access to the account can withdraw and use the money."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.