National

Traffic leads to big lottery win for lucky Maryland player. ‘Heck of a blessing’

The custodian told lottery officials he plans to spend his winnings on bills and share the rest with “family members who’ve fallen on hard times.”
The custodian told lottery officials he plans to spend his winnings on bills and share the rest with “family members who’ve fallen on hard times.” Getty Images/iStockphoto

A Delaware man was hoping to quench his thirst.

Traffic, however, got in his way, Maryland Lottery officials said in a June 11 news release.

“I tried to get my drink … but traffic was too heavy to get over,” the man told lottery officials.

Instead, he waited a few minutes and stopped for a drink at a Delmar convenience store about 100 yards into Maryland, lottery officials said.

“It was annoying then, but looking back, that traffic was one heck of a blessing,” he told lottery officials.

Along with his drink, the man also bought a $10 Money Bags ticket on June 6, lottery officials said.

“There’s no real reason why I bought a ticket then,” he said, per the release. “The idea just sort of popped into my mind.”

Upon seeing that his ticket came with a second-tier prize of $50,000, he said “it was a sense of relief.”

“Immediately followed by disbelief, though,” the winner told lottery officials.

His girlfriend quickly eliminated his skepticism by confirming his big win using the lottery app on her phone.

The custodian told lottery officials he plans to spend his winnings on bills and share the rest with “family members who’ve fallen on hard times.”

“I’ve been trying to figure out ways to lend a hand but haven’t had the means. Now I do,” he said in the release. “This is a big help.”

Delmar is about a 115-mile drive southeast from Baltimore.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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This story was originally published June 11, 2025 at 2:01 PM with the headline "Traffic leads to big lottery win for lucky Maryland player. ‘Heck of a blessing’."

Daniella Segura
McClatchy DC
Daniella Segura is a national real-time reporter with McClatchy. Previously, she’s worked as a multimedia journalist for weekly and daily newspapers in the Los Angeles area. Her work has been recognized by the California News Publishers Association. She is also an alumnus of the University of Southern California and UC Berkeley.
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