‘I ran out of gas’: Man wins $1 million from lottery scratch-off while filling tank
CORBIN, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) - One Kentucky man got a lucky break during a stop for gas, winning $1 million from a Kentucky Lottery scratch-off ticket.
Michael Schlemmer, from Corbin, needed to fill up his gas tank when he made a stop at the Convenient Food Mart on U.S. Highway 25 West.
“I ran out of gas, and I coasted in there,” Schlemmer told lottery officials. “I had 40 bucks on me and bought $20 worth of gas and bought a ticket.”
Schlemmer bought one $20 “$1,000,000 Luck” scratch-off ticket and noticed he had a winner. He brought it back into the store to show the employees inside.
“The owners of the store were there, and they both started grinning,” he said.
Schlemmer’s ticket had the automatic symbol, which won him the $1,000,000 top prize.
“Nothing went through my mind,” Schlemmer said. “I just got up and went back in the store and showed it to them. Until I get the check in my hand, I don’t believe it.”
On Thursday, Schlemmer drove to lottery headquarters in Louisville and walked away with a check for $661,330 after taxes, choosing to take the game’s lump sum payment of $862,000 instead of annuity payments.
Schlemmer told officials he plans on buying a new car and placing the rest of his winnings in savings.
“I told the dealership I’m waiting for a big check to come in and then I hit that,” Schlemmer said.
Convenient Food Mart will receive $8,620 from the Kentucky Lottery for selling the winning ticket.
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