Lottopia News
Most people would either make a return or ask for a return if they ended up with the wrong ticket. A North Carolina woman, however, is thanking her lucky stars for the mistake. All said she won nearly $280,000 thanks to the fortunate mishap.
Zerineia Carmichael stopped for gas at a local convenience store. She visited the Circle K on West Grantham Street in Goldsboro. Visiting the shop, which is about 60 miles southeast of Raleigh, turned out to be anything but a typical stop.
Mrs. Carmichael, an avid football fan, ordered a $5 Carolina Panthers lottery ticket. Its distinguishing feature is that it offers a cash prize and the chance to win a luxury suite for the 2019 season at Bank of America Stadium. The clerk mistakenly handed her a 777 lottery ticket which actually costs more.
“Normally, I would have asked (the clerk) to give me what I asked for,” Carmichael said in a press release. “But something just said to keep the ticket. At first I thought I’d only won $7, but I kept scratching….I was in shock when I realized what I’d won.”
Carmichael scratched off the lottery ticket in the parking lot when she realized what she had won. The official tally following the mix-up was worth officially worth $277,777.
She claimed her winnings this week, and the official amount comes out to $195,837 after taxes. Asked what she intended to do with the holiday prize, Carmichael’s reply was quite modest. Lottery officials say she intends to buy a Toyota Corolla.