Truck driver almost tossed winning ticket
He buys Lottery tickets once a week, an Anne Arundel County man told Lottery officials this week. And, while he picks out a different assortment each time, there is one game that is always in the mix – Mega Millions. The multistate game repaid that loyalty on Oct. 15 with a $1 million second-tier win.
“The night before I buy my new tickets I check the ones that I have very carefully,” the excited truck driver said. It seems, however, that this process was interrupted during the week of his big win.
“While I was comparing my tickets to the winning numbers, I had to stop to take care of something in the house.” Upon returning to the task, the loyal player was certain that he picked up where he’d left off. It turns out he was off by one. One ticket. One Mega Millions ticket.
The winner shared this story with a family member the next morning as he was dropping her off at work, telling her that he was about to throw the tickets away. She volunteered to scan them on her Lottery app, just to be sure. The first ticket she checked was that $2 quick-pick Mega Millions ticket. As the car had just pulled away, she chased after it, waving her arms.
“I thought something was wrong when I saw her in the rear view mirror. When she got to the door, though, I knew it was good news. She had such a smile.”
Check Cash Depot at 8 16th Avenue in Brooklyn sold the $1 million second-tier winning ticket, receiving a $2,500 Lottery bonus for the lucky sale. The happy winner is considering using his Mega Millions prize to buy a new home and a car, both of which are needed by his family.
This is the third $1 million winning Mega Millions ticket sold in Maryland this year. The next drawing on Friday, Nov. 8, could yield more big prizes for players. The estimated jackpot annuity for the evening drawing is $334 million, with an estimated cash option of $155.7 million. The last jackpot of $810 million was hit in Texas on Sept. 10.
