Kevin Simpson of Stoneville stopped to get gas for his lawnmower and walked away the winner of a $1 million scratch-off prize.
Simpson, a retired firefighter who now works for Goodyear, bought two $150 Million Cash Explosion scratch-off tickets at the J-Mart on East Stadium Drive in Eden after his lawnmower ran out of gas.
He recalled scratching his tickets right in the J-Mart parking lot and not winning anything off of his first ticket, but bagging $1 million with the second.
Simpson claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Monday. He had a choice of taking the $1 million as an annuity of $50,000 a year over 20 years or a lump sum. He chose the annuity and after state and federal tax withholdings, he walked away with his first payment of $35,381.
Simpson says winning big won’t change him. “I’m just going to continue working,” he said. “It’s what I’ve been doing for 20 years. This is for my retirement.”
$150 Million Cash Explosion launched in October 2018 with four top prizes of $4 million and six $1 million prizes. Two $4 million prizes and two $1 million prizes remain to be claimed.
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