Coin Spill Shuts Down Route 301, Lanes Now Clear

An armored car dumped a load of coins on Route 301 in Bowie today, shutting down the southbound side of the highway for about an hour while authorities cleaned up the mess, police said.

Just before 9 a.m., police were called to Route 301 and Route 50 for the report of an armored car that had lost its cargo. When they arrived, they found coins scattered about the roadway, police said. The back door of the car was apparently not secured properly, police said.

Capt. Misty Mints, a spokesman for the Prince George's County Police, said she did not know how much money was dumped in total. But she said only coins, not bills, spilled out of the vehicle.

"Luckily for them," Mints said. "Not that that can't be a lot of cash, too, but the bills are harder to catch if they're flying around."

-- Matt Zapotosky