An Oregon man threw money from his car, littering a highway with $100 bills

By Joe Hernandez

Published April 17, 2023 at 8:08 AM EDT

An Oregon State Police cruiser approaches a checkpoint in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on January 28, 2016 near Burns, Oregon.

Throwing money out the window has a new meaning.

Authorities in Oregon say a driver was hurling cash out of his vehicle on Tuesday, leaving the roadside reportedly littered with $100 bills and prompting drivers in both directions to stop and collect the notes.

The Oregon State Police and other local agencies received calls around 7:23 p.m. local time about money "floating" on Interstate 5 near the south end of Eugene, an OSP spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

Responding troopers identified the driver as 38-year-old Colin Davis McCarthy of Eugene.

McCarthy explained his largesse by telling troopers that he wanted to "gift" the money — roughly $200,000, he estimated. Authorities said there was no way to confirm how much dough McCarthy tossed.

Troopers asked McCarthy to stop throwing money onto the roadway because it was creating a traffic hazard, and he agreed. No criminal charges were being considered against him, officials said.

The Oregon State Police said responding troopers couldn't find any bills along the highway after the incident, saying drivers did a "thorough job of gathering the loose money."

The agency urged people not to go look for any money along the highway, as it could put both them and passing motorists at risk.