Stranger's license plate number earns lottery player a $50,000 prize

July 2 (UPI) -- A Maryland man used a set of numbers he copied from another vehicle's license plate to play the lottery and scored a $50,000 prize.

The Hyattsville man told Maryland Lottery officials he often memorizes license plate numbers on the road or at the scene of accidents and uses them to play Pick 5 drawings.

One such set of numbers adorned his ticket for the June 26 midday Pick 5 drawing, and he matched all five drawn digits: 2-0-5-3-3.

The ticket earned him a $50,000 jackpot.

"I was happy and excited when my five digits hit," the player said.

A surprisingly similar number combination -- 2-0-5-3 -- previously earned the man a $5,000 prize from a Pick 4 drawing in 2023.

The man said his winnings will go toward starting a savings account for his grandchild.