Nov. 13 (UPI) — A news story about an unclaimed lottery prize in Missouri kept a $1 million Powerball ticket from ending up in the winner’s trash.
The player told Missouri Lottery officials he purchased his ticket for the Oct. 26 drawing at FastLane on Highway 6 in Taylor, but forgot to check the ticket after the drawing.
The man said that days later he was scrolling through his phone when he came across a news story about a $1 million Powerball ticket sold at FastLane, and it reminded him that he hadn’t checked his ticket.
“I was actually about to throw it away,” the player said of his card. “And then I thought, maybe I should check this one out.”
The ticket matched all five white balls drawn in the October 26 draw: 8-12-40-45-51.
The man’s wife initially did not believe he had won a $1 million prize.
“I was in shock,” she said. “I actually thought he was joking.”
