Lottery dream comes true thanks to clerk's coaxing

March 15 (UPI) -- A Maryland man said advice from a gas station clerk led to a literal dream come true when he won a lottery jackpot.

Alexander Maldonado of Gaithersburg told Maryland Lottery officials he was filling up his tank at the Lake Forest Exxon station Tuesday when he heard a mysterious voice behind him.

"No one has won today, so it could be you my friend!" Maldonado recalled the voice saying.

He said he turned around and discovered the origin of the voice: the gas station clark.

Maldonado heeded the clerk's advice and bought two Hot Riches scratch-off tickets. The first was a $5 winner and the second was a $50,000 grand prize winner.

"I freaked out when I saw that it was a winner, man," the winner said. "Even the retailer was extremely excited for me."

Maldonado said he had recently dreamed of winning a scratch-off lottery jackpot.

"It's crazy to think something can happen like that," he said.