A Kentucky driver who ran out of fuel struck oil when he stopped at a gas station and won a $1 million lottery ticket.
Michael Schlemmer explained to lottery officials he needed to make a pit stop at Convenient Food Mart along US Highway 25 when he was on his last gallon of gas.
“I ran out of gas, and I coasted in there,” he recalled.
With $40 in cash in his pocket, he spent $20 on gas and then bought a ticket with the rest.
“I scratched it off and I looked at it and went back in the store,” he said. “I showed the girls that sold it to me, and they about had a fit.
“The owners of the store were there, and they both started grinning.”
Schlemmer’s scratch-off had the automatic symbol that indicates winning the top prize of $1 million.
He was still in disbelief until he got the check in his hand last Thursday.
He drove to the lottery headquarters and took home a check for $616,300 after taxes. He opted for the $862,000 lump sum payment instead of the annuity payments, lotto officials said.
Schlemmer already had his eye on a new set of wheels before running into the boatload of cash. Now, he’ll use his newfound wealth for the new car and put the rest in savings, he said.
“I told the dealership I’m waiting for a big check to come in and then I hit that,” he said.
The market where the prize was sold will also get $8,620 for selling the winning ticket.