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The mechanic from Prince George's County known to play Lottery scratch-offs is thanking Lady Luck after he parlayed a $65 win on two tickets into a $250,000 jackpot.
According to Lottery officials, the Bowie man was heading to work when he made a pitstop to pick up four different $10 scratch-off tickets, which landed him a $50 win on one and $15 on another.
Rather than cash in the winning tickets, he instead put his car in drive, drove another mile, he mused, and opted to give it another shot at the Liberty gas station on East Guide Drive in Rockville.
It was a fortuitous decision.
The big winner scanned his two winning games into a vending machine at the business and reallocated the $65 in prizes into the purchase of seven games: three $10 Jumbo Cash scratch-offs, one $20 instant ticket and three $5 scratch-offs.
Before scratching the tickets, the mechanic picked up a coffee to get his day started on the right foot, but his final instant ticket did it for him, when he realized he won the top $250,000 Jumbo Cash prize.
He suddenly didn’t want his coffee anymore, Lottery officials mused. “I was filled up,” the winner said. “I was sweating. I was wondering if the prize was real.”
He texted his wife the good news, and stashed the golden ticket under his seat, though he still couldn't believe the good fortune.
"I visited the car four times that day while at work,” he said, “to be sure the scratch-off was still there.”
The couple said they plan to keep the unexpected windfall a secret, and have some home remodeling projects planned. They also said some college loans are about to be paid down.
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