87-year-old former truck driver turns scratch-off stop into $10K a month for life

A routine coffee run and lottery purchase at a Berks County gas station delivered a prize worth $10K every month for life

Middletown, PA — An 87-year-old Pennsylvania man who spent decades behind the wheel as a truck driver is celebrating a life-changing lottery win after a stop for coffee and a scratch-off ticket turned into a top prize worth $10K a month for life.

Alfred Behney, a Berks County resident, was presented with a commemorative check by Pennsylvania Lottery officials after winning a top prize on the $10,000 a Month for Life Scratch-Off ticket.

Behney purchased the winning ticket on May 27 at Star Gas & Diesel, located at 8558 Lancaster Avenue in Bethel Township. The retailer will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

The retired truck driver said buying scratch-off tickets has long been part of his routine, especially when stopping for coffee during trips to Amish and Mennonite farm stands in search of fresh produce.

Lottery officials said Behney discovered the win after scanning the ticket at the retailer.

According to the Pennsylvania Lottery, Behney chose the annuity option, which pays $10K per month for life. The game also offers a cash option valued at $1.6 million.

The winner’s life story extends well beyond his lottery success.

Behney said he grew up in Schuylkill County, where he was an all-star athlete in school before serving in the U.S. Army following the Korean War.

He also spent time in professional baseball, signing a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers organization in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1961.

The commemorative check presentation took place Friday at Pennsylvania Lottery headquarters in Middletown.

Pennsylvania Lottery officials noted that proceeds from ticket sales support programs benefiting older Pennsylvanians throughout the Commonwealth.

Scratch-off prizes must be claimed within one year of a game’s official end-sale date.

Key Points

An 87-year-old Berks County man won a top prize on the Pennsylvania Lottery’s $10,000 a Month for Life Scratch-Off.
Alfred Behney purchased the winning ticket at Star Gas & Diesel in Bethel Township.
Behney chose the annuity option, which pays $10K per month for life.