OHIO — What began as a simple mistake turned into a life-changing win for a Sheffield Village woman who took home $100,000 in the Mega Millions lottery.
The woman purchased a lottery ticket on March 11 intending to play Powerball but later realized she had accidentally bought a Mega Millions ticket instead. Initially frustrated by the mix-up, she said she assumed it wouldn’t matter since she didn’t expect to win.
The drawing took place on Friday the 13th, but she was unable to check her numbers due to internet outages caused by strong winds in the area. When she finally checked her ticket the following night, she discovered she had won.
“I barely slept,” she said, adding that she repeatedly checked the numbers to make sure they hadn’t changed.
Her luck nearly faltered again when she arrived at the Ohio Lottery regional office to claim her prize. In her excitement, she briefly forgot to put her car in park before getting out but realized the mistake in time to prevent any damage.
The winning numbers were 6-19-36-40-55 with a Mega Ball of 9. She matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball, earning a $10,000 prize that increased to $100,000 благодаря a 10x multiplier. The odds of such a win are approximately 1 in 893,761.
After taxes totaling 26.75%, she will receive about $73,250.
The winner said the prize is especially meaningful because she is on a fixed income and can now worry less about her bills. She plans to share some of the money with her grandchildren, pay off her car and save the rest.
The winning ticket was sold at Cap & Corks on Detroit Avenue in Lakewood.
According to the Ohio Lottery, Mega Millions drawings are held at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. The lottery has contributed more than $34 billion to education since 1974.
