CLIVE, Iowa — A Newton man won the lottery on New Year’s Eve and immediately made plans to trade in his car, which has over 849,000 miles on it.
Daniel Bragg, 46, got a New Years surprise after he won the top prize of $150,000 in the “Money Gift” scratch game. Bragg said he knew what he would do with the money immediately.
“I’ve got to get a car, got to get a car,” Bragg said.
The car, a 2001 Chevy Suburban, drove him through Thursday’s snowstorm to the Iowa Lottery Headquarters in Clive where he claimed his prize.
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“It’s a beater, but hey, it’s done pretty good,” Bragg said.
Bragg has plans to purchase a small pickup truck with his winnings and though he’s excited for the upgrade, he’s also sad to part with his faithful friend.
“Oh, it’ll be a major upgrade. This vehicle, though, can still pull anything,” he said while praising the Suburban. “They said they built these like a tank, and yeah, it’s a tank!”
After someone won the first top prize on Christmas , there is only one top prize of $150,000 remaining in the “Money Gift” scratch game. According to the Iowa Lottery, the game has a 1 in 2.83 overall odds of winning.