Kentucky man wins $1 million lottery after buying ticket at emergency fuel stop
- Michael Schlemmer bought a $20 lottery scratch ticket on May 17 and won a staggering $1 million
- He stopped at a mini market along US Highway 25 in Corbin to fill up
- On May 18, he received his first payment at lottery headquarters by collecting a check for $616,330 after taxes.
A Kentucky man making an emergency fuel stop was stunned after buying a $20 lottery scratch ticket and winning the $1 million jackpot.
Michael Schlemmer was driving along US Highway 25 on May 17 in Corbin, Ky., when he said he stopped at the Convenient Food Mart to fill up.
“I ran out of gas and drove in there,” he said, unaware that it would be his lucky day.
Schlemmer said he only had $40 on him and spent $20 on gas and the remaining $20 on a lotto ticket.
“I scratched it and looked at it and went back to the store. I showed the girls who sold it to me and they had a fit,” he said. “The store owners were there, and they both started smiling.”
Schlemmer admitted that “nothing crossed his mind” at first until he went to lottery headquarters on May 18 and received a check for $616,330 after taxes.
Michael Schlemmer was stunned to learn he was the Kentucky Lottery Scratch-off winner. He is pictured holding a $1 million jackpot check
The convenience store Schlemmer walked into on May 17 is located on U.S. Highway 25 West in Corbin, Kentucky. The store will receive $8,620 for the sale of the winning ticket
According Kentucky Lottery officials.
Officials said he opted to take the gambling lump sum cash payment of $862,000 instead of annuity payments.
The Kentucky Lottery posted a congratulatory message to Schlemmer with a photo of him holding his grand prize
Before Schlemmer won the top prize, he was looking to buy a car and told the dealer, “I’m waiting for a big check to come in and then I hit this,” Schelmmer said.
Now, with his new earnings, he plans to buy a newer vehicle and the rest, he said, will be placed in the bank.
The convenience store where the winning ticket was sold will also receive a payout of $8,620, according to lottery officials.
According to the agency’s website, the Kentucky Lottery funds educational programs, grants, and scholarships for Kentuckians.
The site also points out that the odds of winning one of the many scratch ticket prizes are 1 in 3.57.
Since 1999, the lottery has raised over $4.4 billion in funding.
