ianstone
07-11-2010, 12:33 AM
Crashed Van Spills Millions On M-Way
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[URL="http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Italian-Bullion-Van-Crashes-Onto-Busy-Motorway-Spilling-Millions-Of-Coins-Onto-A14-Near-Foggia/Article/201007115660973?lpos=World_News_Second_Strange_New s__Article_Teaser_Region__2&lid=ARTICLE_15660973#comments"]Comments (21) (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Italian-Bullion-Van-Crashes-Onto-Busy-Motorway-Spilling-Millions-Of-Coins-Onto-A14-Near-Foggia/Article/201007115660973?lpos=World_News_Second_Strange_New s__Article_Teaser_Region__2&lid=ARTICLE_15660973#bookmarkForm)
Italian bank chiefs have been left short-changed after motorists coined it in when a bullion van overturned, spilling up to two million Euros (£1.6m) onto a busy motorway.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Jul/Week1/15660903.jpg Staff from the bullion company were still sweeping up coins a day after the collision
Drivers and their passengers risked life and limb to make off with close to 50,000 Euros (£45,000) after thousands upon thousands of one and two Euro coins scattered across the lanes.
Bound for Bari, the bullion van spilled its valuable load after bursting a tyre, causing it to hit another car before slamming into a barrier on the A14 motorway, near Foggia in southern Italy.
The accident dislodged the boxes on board which burst open as they hit the ground, paving a vast stretch of the road with gold.
One witness told a local TV station: "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. People were stopping on the motorway risking their lives to pick up the coins.
Two drivers in the truck and two in the car were hurt, but no-one was bothered about them. Fortunately they were not too badly hurt.
Italian police spokesperson
"It was a real free-for-all and I am amazed no-one was killed as people were running across the lanes to reach the coins."
Police said the thirst for the crash cash outweighed compassion for those injured in the collision and disrupted any attempts to contain the costly spillage.
"Our job was made very difficult as the coins had gone onto both carriageways and motorists were stopping and picking up the money," he said.
"Two drivers in the truck and two in the car were hurt, but no-one was bothered about them. Fortunately they were not too badly hurt."
Staff from the bullion company were still at the scene using brushes to sweep up coins a day after the collision.
Police have appealed for the public "to return the money to its rightful owners".
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Jul/Week1/15660904.jpg A recount revealed drivers grabbed five-times as much cash as first thought
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[URL="http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Italian-Bullion-Van-Crashes-Onto-Busy-Motorway-Spilling-Millions-Of-Coins-Onto-A14-Near-Foggia/Article/201007115660973?lpos=World_News_Second_Strange_New s__Article_Teaser_Region__2&lid=ARTICLE_15660973#comments"]Comments (21) (http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Italian-Bullion-Van-Crashes-Onto-Busy-Motorway-Spilling-Millions-Of-Coins-Onto-A14-Near-Foggia/Article/201007115660973?lpos=World_News_Second_Strange_New s__Article_Teaser_Region__2&lid=ARTICLE_15660973#bookmarkForm)
Italian bank chiefs have been left short-changed after motorists coined it in when a bullion van overturned, spilling up to two million Euros (£1.6m) onto a busy motorway.
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Jul/Week1/15660903.jpg Staff from the bullion company were still sweeping up coins a day after the collision
Drivers and their passengers risked life and limb to make off with close to 50,000 Euros (£45,000) after thousands upon thousands of one and two Euro coins scattered across the lanes.
Bound for Bari, the bullion van spilled its valuable load after bursting a tyre, causing it to hit another car before slamming into a barrier on the A14 motorway, near Foggia in southern Italy.
The accident dislodged the boxes on board which burst open as they hit the ground, paving a vast stretch of the road with gold.
One witness told a local TV station: "I couldn't believe what I was seeing. People were stopping on the motorway risking their lives to pick up the coins.
Two drivers in the truck and two in the car were hurt, but no-one was bothered about them. Fortunately they were not too badly hurt.
Italian police spokesperson
"It was a real free-for-all and I am amazed no-one was killed as people were running across the lanes to reach the coins."
Police said the thirst for the crash cash outweighed compassion for those injured in the collision and disrupted any attempts to contain the costly spillage.
"Our job was made very difficult as the coins had gone onto both carriageways and motorists were stopping and picking up the money," he said.
"Two drivers in the truck and two in the car were hurt, but no-one was bothered about them. Fortunately they were not too badly hurt."
Staff from the bullion company were still at the scene using brushes to sweep up coins a day after the collision.
Police have appealed for the public "to return the money to its rightful owners".
http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2010/Jul/Week1/15660904.jpg A recount revealed drivers grabbed five-times as much cash as first thought