“Road-Runner” celebrates his $100,000 top-prize win on a $1,000 Loaded scratch-off.
Middle River ride-share operator will use top prize to fund vehicle, home improvements.
For most ride-share drivers, time off the road means zero income. The story is different for a Baltimore County gig-worker who used a quick layover between fares to make a scratch-off purchase that yielded a $100,000 prize.
The anonymous Middle River man, who selected the nickname “Road-Runner” for Lottery publicity, won the hefty prize while scratching one of the Lottery’s $1,000 Loaded scratch-offs earlier this week.
The 69-year-old winner told Lottery officials that he purchased the scratch-off while visiting a Joppa Wawa. Over the years, he has put many miles behind him, first as a tractor-trailer driver and now, in retirement, driving for Uber. “Road-Runner” said the switch to gig work was just the thing to earn extra income doing what he loved during the day — driving — and spending nights home with his family.
His $100,000 top-prize win on the $1,000 Loaded game came after he found a $10 prize on one of the Lottery’s new Holiday scratch-offs. “Road-Runner” decided to use his small win to fund a chance to win something bigger. He eventually settled on the $10 $1,000 Loaded scratch-off.
The family man scratched his instant ticket while waiting in line for a cashier. He first revealed the winning numbers at the top of the instant ticket and then worked his way through the other numbers, looking for a match. “Road-Runner” revealed the number 21 and then the prize beneath it. When he saw the six-figure prize, the shocked player reacted by loudly repeating a quick phrase.
“I was saying ‘Holy, holy, holy,’ and a law enforcement officer who was standing next to me began to ask if I was okay. That’s when I asked him if he was seeing what I was seeing and showed him the ticket,” said “Road-Runner. “He said that he saw a $100,000 prize and then asked me if I needed security.”
The happy winner headed home early and phoned family members to surprise them with the news. He told Lottery officials that he plans to keep driving and use the prize to improve his home and update his ride-share vehicle.
“After driving for five years and over 24,000 rides, I’ve got to update to stay on the road,” he said.
The $1,000 Loaded scratch-off went on sale in May, offering players 25 chances to win prizes from $10 to $100,000. With this win, the scratch-off has just two $100,000 top prizes remaining.
Enjoying a Lottery bonus is Wawa #599 located at 1419 South Mountain Road in Joppa. For selling a top-prize winning instant ticket of $100,000, the lucky Harford County store will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery.
