Couple nearly tossed $250,000 lotto ticket

BALTIMORE, Sept. 15 (UPI) -- Maryland Lottery officials said a couple who recently won a $250,000 Mega Millions prize nearly threw the ticket in the trash.

The officials said the couple, whose names were not released, told them the wife had tossed the winning ticket in the trash can the day after the Friday drawing, WBAL-TV, Baltimore, reported Monday.

However, the husband asked to see the ticket and the pair, who are originally from Korea, retrieved the item and realized they had won a prize.

"I looked at it and thought right away that we'd won something big," the man told lottery officials.

The officials said the man had previously won a $50,000 prize in a 1998 Bonus Match 5 lottery.