A long-haul truck driver who bought a lottery ticket in Virginia didn’t realize he was a millionaire until he was over 1,300 miles away in Texas, the Virginia Lottery says.
Berhane Meharena of Arlington, Virginia, bought a ticket in Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. He didn’t check the ticket until he was halfway across the country on a job in Texas. When he did, he realized he had won $1 million.
“I was by myself in the truck,” he told Virginia Lottery officials. “I was screaming.”
He then drove all the way back to Virginia to claim the prize.
“This was a lucky year,” Meharena told the Lottery.
Meharena bought the winning ticket at the Harris Teeter, a supermarket in Arlington, the Lottery said.
What is Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle?
Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle is a computer-generated raffle game. Players receive one play per ticket and hope to win a prize through a random drawing.
From Oct. 31, 2023, to Jan. 1, 2024, a raffle was held with a $20 cost to enter.