Low-fuel light leads NC couple to huge lottery prize. ‘We both were screaming’
After a day full of Black Friday shopping for Christmas gifts, Laura Keen and her boyfriend had to make a stop for gas when their truck’s low-fuel light turned on.
When they stopped at a 7-Eleven in Kernersville, North Carolina, Keen went inside to grab a coffee and a $30 Millionaire Maker ticket, she told lottery officials, according to a Nov. 29 news release. Back in the truck, she scratched the ticket.
“I was screaming,” Keen told officials. “He was screaming. We both were screaming.”
Keen won a $1 million prize.
“We were just in shock, just shock,” she said.
On Monday, Nov. 28, Keen collected her prize, opting for a lump-sum payment. After state and federal tax withholdings, she went home with $426,069, according to officials.
Now, Keen, who lives in Winston-Salem, plans to “be smart” with her prize, she told officials. While she doesn’t have definite plans, she’s considering a small vacation.
“We would never have won that if that gas light had not gone off,” she said.
Kernersville is about 95 miles northwest of Raleigh.
This story was originally published November 29, 2022 at 11:03 AM with the headline "Low-fuel light leads NC couple to huge lottery prize. ‘We both were screaming’."
