Trucker man have snatched cash from overturned armored car

The spectacular crash in busy rush-hour traffic killed the driver of the armored car, injured five and shut down the interstate for hours last Friday.

Loomis Fargo Co. has reported $18,000 missing.

One witness reported seeing the driver of a commercial truck stop on the side of the road, walk over to the armored car and put something into his shirt. The man then drove away.

"That's pretty sad for someone to walk right past a dead person and injured people," said Tony Almaraz, a Nevada Highway Patrol trooper.

James Van Meter of Reno died in the accident on I-80 in the middle of Reno. The armored car rolled across the freeway median and over the top of a passenger car. The impact apparently tore the door off the back of the armored car.

Troopers do not believe the man they are looking for caused the accident, but that he took advantage of the opportunity, Almaraz said.

Troopers also are looking for people who may have seen what happened just before the accident. Witnesses said the truck went out of control suddenly and crossed the median into opposing traffic.

"We seem to have a blank spot," Almaraz said. "We need witnesses that may have been traveling eastbound just before this happened."

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