‘I think we won something.’ Midlands woman scratches off $1 million prize, NC Lottery says
A South Carolina woman and her husband were driving through North Carolina when they stopped to fill the car’s gas tank.
After winning a $1 million prize playing the lottery, the Midlands residents said they won’t have to worry about paying for their car again, according to the North Carolina Education Lottery.
The Miltons were on their way home from a family road trip when they stopped at a Charlotte gas station, the N.C. Lottery reported.
As her husband was pumping gas, Blythewood resident LaToshia Milton bought a scratch-off lottery ticket for $10 and returned to the car to reveal the results, per the N.C. Lottery.
The N.C. Lottery said Milton won the top prize on the “$1,000,000 Back Scratch,” but it took her a moment to register winning a seven-digit jackpot.
“I saw the matching numbers and stopped scratching,” Milton said, according to the N.C. Lottery. “I opened the door and told my husband, ‘Babe. I think we won something.’ “
Rather than screaming and running around the gas station, the couple reacted by embracing each other.
“All I could do was cry we just sat there hugging each other,” Milton said, according to the N.C. Lottery, which reported this was one of five $1 million jackpots, and that three remain unclaimed.
Instead of heading home to the Columbia area, the couple made a beeline to Raleigh to collect their winnings, per the N.C. Lottery. They had a choice between 20 payments of $50,000 a year or a lump sum of $600,000, and Milton said they took the lump sum, which after taxes came out to $423,009.
Milton told the N.C. Lottery the first thing she is going to do with the winnings is finish her car payments and the mortgage on their home.
“Those are the main stresses. That’s a huge burden lifted. It’s such a relief,” Milton said, according to the N.C. Lottery.
According to her Facebook page, the couple gave back this weekend. Milton posted they fed the homeless.
“The message this morning came from Psalms 141:3 ... know when to shut up ... thank you “Share the love” for allowing me to help you all when I’m available.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2018 at 8:55 PM.
