North Carolina woman ‘couldn’t think straight’ after winning $1 million lottery prize
A North Carolina woman was “shocked” when she won a top lottery prize.
Ola Gurganus recently stopped at a general store in Bath and bought a Jumbo Bucks scratch-off lottery ticket for $10, according to a Monday news release from the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Bath is in Beaufort County, about 120 miles east of Raleigh.
She told lottery officials she “really couldn’t think straight” after scratching the ticket and seeing she won $1 million.
“I was shocked, I really was,” Gurganus said, according to the lottery.
Gurganus claimed her prize in Raleigh on Thursday and chose to take a lump sum of $600,000 instead of an annuity of 20 payments of $50,000 a year. She took home $424,503 after taxes.
“I didn’t think I’d ever come to Raleigh to the lottery but now I have,” Gurganus told lottery officials. “And I hope I make it back!”
She told lottery officials she plans to share some of the prize with her children.
The Jumbo Bucks game launched in April with eight $1 million prizes. After Gurganus’ win, five are left.
