Fatal 18-Wheeler Accident Reveals $1M In Cash

Authorities investigating a fatal 18-wheeler accident in East Texas found more than $1 million in cash in the victim’s truck. First responders noticed the cash, wrapped in plastic and aluminum foil, at the site of the fatal 18-wheeler accident. Much of the cash burned at the site, but nearly $500,000 remained for law enforcement agencies to collect as evidence. Officials have speculated that such bundles of cash, most of it in small bills, could be tied to organized crime or illegal drug sales.

Details of the Fatal 18 Wheeler Accident

The victim, Eric Royster of Angier, North Carolina, was driving his 18-wheeler from his home state to Arizona, then on to California. A mechanical problem caused the trailer to catch fire on U.S. 80 near Longview, Texas one night in early December. When Mr. Royster’s saw the fire, he pulled over and disconnected the passenger cab from the burning trailer. He was standing in the road, trying to put out the fire, when the driver of a pickup truck struck and killed him.

No Charges In Fatal 18 Wheeler Accident

Investigators found no criminal record for Mr. Royster prior to the fatal 18-wheeler accident. He reportedly had no connections to organized crime and only a few minor traffic violations on his driving record. The driver who struck and killed Mr. Royster in the fatal 18-wheeler accident will also not be charged, according to Lt. Jay Webb of the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department. The driver, whose name was not released, reportedly told authorities that Mr. Royster had been wearing dark clothes that night, making it harder for the driver to see him standing in the road.

Mystery Surrounds Cash Found At Fatal 18 Wheeler Accident Site

Mr. Royster’s father, also a long-haul truck driver, claims that his son was unaware of what he had been carrying the night of the fatal 18-wheeler accident. “My son had not idea what’s in that container,” the senior Mr. Royster told reporters. Lt. Webb refused to speculate on if the driver knew about the fortune in his truck, but he told reporters “it wasn’t hidden” and that the cash was “right at the back door.”

Source: Charlotte News & Observer

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