Chaos in Detroit as dead man's life savings are dropped from HELICOPTER to honor his final wish
Darrell 'Plant' Thomas, a beloved car wash owner in East Detroit, died from Alzheimer's at 58 and was laid to rest on Friday, June 27.
But the somber ceremony quickly turned surreal when a helicopter swooped over Gratiot Avenue and Connor Street – where Thomas' business, Airport Express Lube & Service, was located – and began showering mourners with rose petals and bundles of money.
Traffic on all six lanes of Gratiot came to a standstill as stunned drivers stopped their cars – some right in the middle of the road – and rushed out to scoop up the falling cash.
The dramatic send–off was orchestrated by Thomas' sons, who said it was their father's dying wish to give back one last time by 'showering the streets.'
His niece, Crystal Perry, said her uncle dropped a total of $5,000, according to a Facebook post.
Footage shows the helicopter hovering in a bright blue sky as petals and bills flutter down, prompting screams of joy and a mad scramble on the ground.
'Let me get out and get that money!' a child can be heard shouting off–camera.
'They dropped this money for my uncle in the middle of Gratiot [Avenue],' Perry says in the background. 'The best to ever do it! Rest well, unc. Rest well!'
Instead of turning chaotic, the crowd remained calm and reverent.
'There was no fighting, none of that,' longtime employee Lisa Knife told The Detroit News. 'It was really beautiful.'
She did not partake in the cash grab, but instead admired with reverence. 'Everybody got a little bit,' she said.
One of Darrell's sons, known as 'Smoke,' helped organize the emotional send–off and spoke proudly about his father's legacy.
'Detroit, y'all might not know who my father was, but he was a great father,' Smoke said. 'Among his community he was a legend, and he blessed everyone – and that was his last blessing to everyone. That's all it was.'
He ended with a heartfelt tribute: 'Many blessings to everyone, and long live Plant.'
Other videos captured people eagerly scooping up bills from the street, bending down to grab handfuls of cash as it fluttered across the pavement.
Smiles, cheers, and laughter filled the air as the unexpected windfall brought the neighborhood together in a moment of shared celebration.
Police briefly closed off traffic on Gratiot Avenue and Connor Street to allow the crowd to safely enjoy what many called the most heartwarming goodbye they'd ever seen.
While officers were informed about the rose petal drop, they had no idea money would also be raining from the sky.
Detroit police said they are not investigating – but the FAA has launched a probe.
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