Ohio mom buying fuel for cleanup effort walks away with life-changing scratch-off win
LORAIN, Ohio — A quick stop for gas to help clean up storm damage turned into a life-changing moment for an Ohio woman who followed a sudden instinct to buy lottery tickets and ended up winning $1 million.
Emily of Lorain said she stopped at a gas station to buy fuel for her fiancé’s chainsaw after a fallen tree damaged neighbors’ vehicles and cleanup efforts were underway.
While waiting in line, she noticed another customer purchasing lottery tickets and decided to buy several scratch-offs herself after feeling compelled to do so, according to the Ohio Lottery.
Later that night, Emily scratched the tickets and came up empty until the final one.
She matched the number “2” on the $1,000,000 Holiday Wish scratch-off ticket and discovered she had won the game’s $1 million top prize.
Emily said she repeatedly checked the ticket because she could not believe what she was seeing before showing it to her fiancé, who urged her to return to the store to confirm the win.
Lottery officials later verified the jackpot-winning ticket.
Emily said the timing of the prize could not have been better, with Mother’s Day recently passing and her birthday approaching.
She said the winnings will allow her family to leave their apartment and purchase their first home. Her son is also excited about having his own room and a yard, according to the Ohio Lottery.
Emily selected the lump sum cash option of $500,000 and will receive approximately $366,250 after mandatory state and federal taxes.
The winning ticket was sold at Valero #048511, located at 3217 Oberlin Ave. in Lorain.
The Ohio Lottery said one top prize remains in the $20 $1,000,000 Holiday Wish scratch-off game as of Tuesday.
Key Points
- An Ohio woman won $1 million after buying scratch-off tickets during a gas station stop
- The winner said she felt compelled to buy tickets after seeing another customer purchase them
- She plans to use the money to buy her family’s first home
