A Virginia woman’s initial disappointment turned into a life-changing moment when a mistake at a gas station counter led to her winning a $2 million lottery jackpot.
Kelly Lindsay had stopped at the Race Way gas station in Carrollton, Virginia, to buy a scratch-off ticket. However, the clerk mistakenly handed her a Money Blitz ticket instead of the one she requested. Though annoyed at first, Lindsay decided to give it a try—and was stunned to discover she had won the game’s $2 million top prize.
Her frustration quickly faded as she celebrated her unexpected win. Speaking to lottery officials, she joked, “I got over not being happy about it.” She then faced another big decision: take the full $2 million as annual payments over 30 years or opt for a lump sum of $1.25 million. She chose the latter.
The odds of winning the Money Blitz jackpot are an astonishing 1 in 1,142,400. With Lindsay’s win, only one more grand prize remains unclaimed. Proceeds from Virginia’s lottery go toward funding K-12 education in the state.
Another Jackpot Winner Takes Time to Claim Prize
While Lindsay wasted no time claiming her fortune, a record-breaking Mega Millions winner in New Jersey took a different approach. The anonymous winner of a $1.128 billion jackpot waited nine months before coming forward.
The lucky ticket was purchased at a ShopRite in Neptune, NJ, back in March 2024. The winning numbers—7, 11, 22, 29, 38, and Gold Mega Ball 4—secured the largest lottery win in New Jersey history and the ninth largest in the US.
New Jersey law allows lottery winners a full year to claim their prize. As a bonus, the Neptune ShopRite received $30,000 for selling the winning ticket. Richard Saker, CEO of Saker ShopRites, announced the money would be donated to the local food bank FulFill.
