Ticket purchased at Bryantown, Charles County store
BALTIMORE—The 2015 Memorial Day weekend is one an Oklahoma man will not soon forget. The military mechanic won the last $1 million top prize on the Maryland Lottery’s Hit the Jackpot scratch-off just before the weekend and couldn’t claim his prize until the Lottery reopened Tuesday! The man's name has not been released by the Maryland Lottery,
presumably at his request.
The 33-year-old father was a long way from home on a temporary assignment to a base in Maryland. He was stationed there leading up to the Memorial Day weekend. While driving to work last Thursday, our winner and a fellow mechanic made a timely pit stop at the Bryantown Store on Leonardtown Road in Bryantown. The lucky man, who enjoys playing scratch-offs wherever he goes, bought the $20 Hit the Jackpot instant ticket and returned to the vehicle.
As his co-worker took the wheel, the “Millionaire Mechanic” scratched off the ticket. He saw that one of his numbers matched, which led him to believe he had at least won a free ticket. As he finished uncovering the prize, the startled player realized he had won enough to buy many, many Lottery tickets!
He called his wife to share the great news. Due to deliver their second daughter in August, she thought he was joking. “She said she wasn’t in the mood for this,” the winner recalled. He sent her a photo of the winning ticket and her disbelief turned to happiness.
The millionaire mechanic changed his travel plans so he could claim his prize when Lottery headquarters reopened Tuesday after closing to observe the Memorial Day holiday. He was relieved to turn over the winning ticket.
“I believe I slept no more than 15 hours this weekend,” he said. Once the ticket was secure in his hotel safe, he spent his days exploring the nation’s capital. “I toured Arlington Cemetery and watched the changing of the guard,” he said. The proud winner plans to use the scratch-off windfall to pay off household debt and set up college funds for his children.
For selling the winning ticket, the Charles County retailer located at 6435 Leonardtown Road in Bryantown will receive a $1,000 bonus from the Lottery. The Hit the Jackpot ticket, launched in 2013, still has two $10,000 prizes and five $5,000 prizes awaiting discovery at Lottery retailers.