License plate encounter inspires $50,000 lottery jackpot

Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A Connecticut man said a chance encounter with a set of numbers on a license plate led to his winning $50,000 from the state lottery.

Jeffrey Ward of Hebron told Connecticut Lottery officials he was at the Mile Hill Xtra Mart in Vernon when he spotted a vehicle with an out-of-state license plate bearing the numbers 2137.

Ward said he recognized the numbers as his preferred combination for the Pick4 drawing game, so he decided it was a "sign" and bought 10 tickets bearing those digits for the Dec. 30 drawing.

The license plate turned out to be a prophetic sign, and Ward's numbers were drawn, earning him $5,000 per ticket for a total $50,0000.

"I gave two tickets to my daughter and the rest I'm just going to save for now. It feels wonderful," Ward said.