A strange late-night incident in downtown Chicago has left investigators searching for a man who reportedly walked away with $85,000 in cash after a security van accident caused money to spill into the street.
According to officials, the incident occurred around 2:47 a.m. along South Wabash Avenue during heavy overnight rain. Surveillance footage from a city traffic camera shows a GardaWorld armored cash van traveling down the street when its rear axle suddenly dropped into a collapsed storm drain.
The impact caused the back of the vehicle to jolt sharply, forcing both rear cargo doors to swing open. Investigators say one of the cash bags inside the vehicle slid out of the van, landing in the flooded gutter before drifting a short distance and coming to rest against a parked car.
Video footage reportedly shows a man walking south on the street moments later. The individual appears to notice the bag, stop briefly, and pick it up. Authorities say the man then tucked the bag under his coat and continued walking down the block without drawing attention to himself.
Police with the Chicago Police Department and GardaWorld personnel arrived on scene at approximately 3:02 a.m.. When crews inspected the armored van, they found it still partially lodged in the collapsed drain with the rear doors open and the cash bag missing.
Officials from the Chicago Department of Water Management later confirmed that the storm drain had previously been flagged for inspection following severe storms the week before, which may have weakened the structure beneath the roadway.
Authorities are now reviewing traffic camera footage and nearby surveillance recordings in hopes of identifying the man seen in the video. So far, his identity remains unknown.
Investigators have not yet said whether the man could face charges if located, but officials emphasized that the missing cash remains part of an active investigation.
