Harvey Smith of Roseboro said he followed a feeling to try his luck on a $5 scratch-off ticket and found a $200,000 prize.

“Something just told me to stop at the store and get a ticket,” Smith said Thursday as he collected his prize at headquarters.

His good luck occurred thanks to a Mega Bucks ticket he purchased at the EZ Mart on East Fayetteville Road in Roseboro.

Smith took home $141,501 after required federal and state tax withholdings.

He said the prize money will help him and his family as they recover from the death of his father on Christmas Day. He said the first thing he planned to do was finish paying for his father’s funeral and buy a tombstone to mark his grave.

“Then I’m just going to live comfortably for a while,” Smith said, “and take care of my nephews, my nieces, my brother, and my mom as best as I can.”

The new Mega Bucks game started in December with 10 top prizes of $200,000. Seven top prizes remain to be won.

Ticket sales from scratch-off games make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $725 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds have helped all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.