Police hunt follows US security van cash dash

Police in the US are searching for over $100,000 after a security van dropped a bag of cash at a junction in Ohio.

The money went missing after the bag, which was on board an armoured vehicle, was run over by a car. Several motorists reportedly stopped at the scene, grabbing handfuls of cash.

Sergeant Dan Kelso said around $100,000 was recovered by officers and around $10,000 has been returned by witnesses.

"It's not free money," he said. "It's different than walking down the street and finding a $5 bill laying there. This is clearly marked, identifiable money that belongs to somebody else laying in the middle of a busy intersection with bank bags lying all over the place.

"It's no different than ... if you found somebody's wallet and it was full of money, and clearly you can open the wallet and see it belongs to somebody. That's not your money."

Police were reviewing mobile phone videos and surveillance video from a nearby stores, including a petrol station, in an effort to find out who has the missing cash.

The truck belonged to Garda Cash Logistics and the bag fell into the street near Garda's facility. Joe Gavaghan, a spokesman for the Montreal-based company, said the firm was cooperating with police, but declined further comment.

Kelso did not know where the vehicle was headed at the time, and it was unclear how the bag fell out of the truck.

"That's the $100,000 question," said Kelso.