Maryland man's $50,000 lottery ticket nearly ended up in the trash

Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A Maryland man who won a $50,000 lottery prize said the winning ticket nearly ended up being thrown in the trash before he realized it was a winner.

The 50-year-old Waldorf man, who chose to remain anonymous, told Maryland Lottery officials he bought a Fast Play Lucky Numbers ticket from the US Fuel gas station in Waldorf and initially believed it to be a losing ticket.

"I almost balled it up and threw it out, but before I did, I scanned the ticket with the lottery's app while sitting in my car," the winner recalled.

The man discovered that a bonus game at the bottom of the ticket had earned him a $50,000 prize. He said the first thing he did was call his family to share the news.

"I was shaking when I told them," he said.

The winner said the prize money will help him find a new home or apartment.