OHIO — What started as a simple mistake turned into a life-changing moment for a Sheffield Village woman who won $100,000 in the Mega Millions.
She bought a ticket on March 11 intending to play Powerball but later realized she had accidentally selected Mega Millions instead. Though initially frustrated by the mix-up, she said she didn’t expect it to matter since she wasn’t expecting to win.
The drawing took place on Friday the 13th, but strong winds caused internet outages in her area, preventing her from checking the numbers. When she finally checked the following night, she discovered she had won.
“I barely slept,” she said, explaining that she kept rechecking the numbers to be sure they hadn’t changed.
Her luck nearly took another turn when she arrived at the Ohio Lottery regional office to claim her prize. In her excitement, she briefly forgot to put her car in park before stepping out, but caught the mistake in time.
The winning numbers were 6-19-36-40-55, with a Mega Ball of 9. She matched four white balls plus the Mega Ball, earning a $10,000 prize that increased to $100,000 with a 10x multiplier. The odds of winning at that level are about 1 in 893,761.
After 26.75% in taxes, she will take home approximately $73,250.
She said the win is especially meaningful because she lives on a fixed income and can now worry less about her bills. She plans to share some of the money with her grandchildren, pay off her car, and save the rest.
The winning ticket was sold at Cap & Corks.
According to the Ohio Lottery, Mega Millions drawings are held at 11 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays. The lottery has contributed more than $34 billion to education since 1974.
Leave a Comment