New Jersey police may arrest drivers who have yet to return $188K that spilled out of truck onto highway

It was the best of the Christmas spirit, and it was the worst of the Christmas spirit.

New Jersey officials said that more than $114,000 of about $510,000 in cash that spilled out of the two plastic bags in the back of a Brinks armored truck earlier this month has been returned by drivers -- and that another roughly $200,000 was gathered on scene and returned to the Brinks drivers.

But about $188,000 in cash remains missing, according to police officials in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Video capturing the incident shows stunned motorists pulling their cars over and rushing onto a busy highway, grabbing at bills fluttering through the air -- and causing multiple car accidents.

Still, more than $188,000 remains missing, and presumably is still in the hands of some of those motorists -- who could be arrested if police track them down before they come forward voluntarily.

Captain Phillip Taormina with the East Rutherford Police Department told ABC News that police were looking at license plate cameras, Department of Transportation cameras, and cameras from MetLife Stadium and the New Jersey Turnpike to identify motorists involved in the incident.

Taormina also said other motorists had turned in dash cameras and cell phone footage.

He said everyone who has returned the money came forward themselves, and that charges would be pursued against anyone who police identified through video.

Police said the truck’s rear passenger door opened due to a mechanical issue as it was driving along Route 3 that morning when the two plastic bags fell out of the open back door and flew open, scattering across the highway and being blown around by “vehicle traffic along with the windy weather conditions.”

Videos taken by other motorists showed the money on the road and other drivers abandoning their vehicles to chase the cash, which police said caused accidents.