Driver stops at rural gas station, wins life-changing lottery prize in North Carolina

A seemingly mundane stop at a crossroads gas station in rural North Carolina made a man rich, after he bought a lottery ticket while in the store.

Jeffrey Kettle was at the Chicod Store south of Greenville on Thursday, Dec. 19, when he spent $20 for a Big Cash Payout ticket, according to the N.C. Education Lottery.

Odds of winning the top prize are 1 in 1,598,205, but Kettle pulled it off. The jackpot was $2 million.

He claimed the money on Dec. 23 and had to make a choice between a lump sum or annual payments of $100,000 for the next 20 years, lottery officials said.

“He chose the lump sum of $1.2 million and, after required state and federal tax with holdings, took home $858,006,” officials said.

Details of how Kettle intended to spend the money were not released.

Big Cash Payout is a scratch-off game that gives players 22 chances to match the winning numbers on the ticket. If a “bundle of cash” symbol is revealed, the player wins that prize instantly. If a “moneybag” symbol shows up, the prize is doubled.

Greenville is about an 85-mile drive southeast from Raleigh.

This story was originally published December 24, 2024 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Driver stops at rural gas station, wins life-changing lottery prize in North Carolina."