Roger Herrin, an owner of a nursing home in Illinois and a retired foot surgeon, paid $150,000 to passengers who have survived the accident which took the life of his son – all in quarters.

An appellate court in Illinois ordered Roger Herrin to share a portion of the insurance benefits that he got out of the accident that killed his son. Enraged by such an order, he complied with it by paying the amount in quarters. Yes, he paid $150,000 using 600,000 quarters, all of which weighed at around 4-tons.

Herrin, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, said that what the appellate court did in ordering him to share the proceeds of the insurance benefits to other passengers was “vehemently wrong.” According to the report, Herrin said that when you lose a child, it leaves an irreparable hole in the heart.

The accident happened in June 2001. The Jeep Cherokee that his son Michael was riding was broadsided by a farm truck when it beat the red light.

Herrin and family filed a wrongful-death lawsuit, where they received a $1.65 million settlement. Aside from such settlement, the Herrins received an additional $500,000, which was the amount questioned by the appellate court.

The 5th District Appellate Court however ruled that it was erroneous for the trial court to give an additional award of $500,000 to the Herrins, which is why it ordered the money to be spread among the passengers who survived the accident.

According to the report, there were 150 bags of quarters which were taken from the Federal Reserve Bank, representing the $150,000 that Herrin was to pay. The 76-year-old himself was the one who oversaw the transfer of the quarters from the bank up to the delivery to the law firms representing the other parties.

The Southern Illinoisan newspaper stated that the payment of quarters of Herrin was his manner of protesting the ruling of the appellate court.