Bank Robbers Stole an ATM From the Drive-Thru and Left It in the Middle of the Road

Drivers in Sacramento, CA got an interesting surprise while on the road yesterday. An ATM, ripped from a nearby bank drive-thru, lay in the middle of the street and obstructed traffic, leading cars to drive around it. But just how did the machine get there in the first place?

Authorities are investigating just what led to the machine being dropped in oncoming traffic. The ATM was clearly taken from the SAFE Credit Union branch on Watt Avenue, a major thoroughfare in the city, but didn't make it very far, as it was left in the street on the same block.

Video showed moving cars slow down and drive around the busted machine, which was surrounded by cones to alert unaware motorists. Even if the robber or anyone else wanted to take the cash that was inside, it's likely they'd run into problems, as ATMs often have technology like dye packs that activate and spray the wads of cash when the machine has been tampered with.

Police are continuing to investigate the incident with the support of SAFE Credit Union. In a statement, the bank said they were working with law enforcement to get to the bottom of the situation.

"Our members' security is our top priority and we take precautions to ensure their account information is safe," Micah Grant, SAFE Credit Union's VP of Communications and Government Relations, stated plainly, per CBS News. "We ask anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office."

It's called a drive-thru ATM, not a drive-off ATM, for a reason.