Unexpectedly closed store leads man to $150,000 lottery jackpot

June 5 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man said finding out his favored store had closed early on a recent day led to his winning a $150,000 lottery jackpot.

Holt Lunsford of Burlington told North Carolina Education Lottery officials he had to make a detour to Dave's Mini Mart in Burlington when he discovered his usual lottery retailer had closed early for the day.

Lunsford said he was "having a feeling" while in the store so he decided to purchase five $5 Extra Play Cashword tickets.

He scratched the tickets off at home and discovered the fourth ticket was a $150,000 winner.

"It turns out that feeling was right," the winner said.

"I got to about the eighth or ninth word and I just ran and showed my mom before I even finished the ticket," he said. "I started crying because I realized how big the prize was going to be. I was just so overwhelmingly excited."

Lunsford said he felt even luckier after doing some research on the tickets.

"I looked it up online and I saw that it was the last prize available," Lunsford recalled. "I just sat there, jaw dropped in awe that out of all those chances, it was me."

The winner said he already has plans for the money.

"The first thing I'm going to be doing is buying a car that I've been looking at for about a year now," he said. "It's a 2004 Mustang, 40th anniversary. I've been saving up money to buy it and this is going to make everything so much easier."