Michigan woman's conversation with clerk predicts lottery win

Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A Michigan woman scored a $500,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket after joking with the store clerk about "saving for retirement."

The 64-year-old Allegan County woman told Michigan Lottery officials she stopped at the Marathon gas station on Allegan Street in Plainwell to buy a Ghostbusters scratch-off ticket.

"I have been playing the Ghostbusters game since it came out," the player said. "When I went into the gas station to buy a ticket on my way to work, the clerk and I were talking about retirement. When she handed me the ticket, she said: 'Well, I hope this ticket helps with saving for retirement!'"

The woman said the clerk's quip proved prophetic.

"I scratched the ticket on break later that day and I thought I won $500. My coworker said: 'You might want to look at that prize amount again.' When I saw it was actually $500,000, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack,'" the winner recalled.

The winner said her prize money will go toward paying bills, paying off her home -- and saving for retirement.