OHIO — A local man is celebrating a life-changing lottery win after what he described as an unusual and memorable experience just days earlier.
According to information from the Ohio Lottery, the man said he was sitting in his vehicle eating lunch when a sparrow suddenly flew into his car and landed on the passenger-side floor. He said he felt the incident might be a sign, though he was unsure of its meaning at the time.
About a week later, the man stopped at Carnegie Pantry, located inside a BP station at 986 Carnegie Ave. in Akron, where he purchased three “Set for Life” scratch-off tickets. He placed the tickets in his wallet and returned to work.
Later that evening, he scratched the first ticket and did not win. However, upon scratching the second ticket, he noticed the word “Life” and used the Ohio Lottery’s My Lotto Rewards app to scan it. Initially believing he had won $120,000, he called his wife to share the news.
The excitement grew when his wife later asked if he had fully read the ticket. Upon reviewing it again, the man realized he had actually won the game’s top prize of $10,000 a month for 20 years — totaling $120,000 annually, or $2.4 million over the full annuity period.
The winner chose the lump sum cash option of $1.2 million. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he will receive approximately $879,000.
The couple said they have not yet made any decisions about how they will use the money and plan to consult a financial advisor before moving forward.
The “Set for Life” scratch-off is a $10 game offered by the Ohio Lottery, with overall odds of winning at 1 in 3.63. As of April 22, 2026, one top prize remains.
Since 1974, the Ohio Lottery has contributed more than $34 billion to education across the state.
