Man driving through North Carolina leaves state $120K richer

• Man drives into North Carolina, leaves with winning ticket for $120,000 prize
• The person had no intention of participating in Cash 5 and let the terminal pick his numbers for him
• The odds of winning the five numbers are 1 in 962,598

A driver had a spot of good luck when, on his way through North Carolina, he decided to have a quick stop – naturally – and try his luck at a lottery game.

There was no specific intention or determination on the part of Jonathan Hodge, a native of Luverne, Alabama, but ennui had gotten the better of him, and he tried to liven the mood with a lottery ticket, and a good thing he did.

Cash 5 turns driver in North Carolina a winner

He purchased a ticket for Cash 5, a well-known game which recently produced a major six-figure winner in New Jersey, and didn’t think twice about it. However, he would soon find out that he had gotten rich–or at least richer than he was when he entered the state.

In a press statement on Friday, May 16, the North Carolina Education Lottery announced that Hodge had indeed won the prize - $120,000 in that specific draw, allowing him to cash out the lump sum for a total of $86,109 - a very respectable amount after all due federal and state taxes have been applied.

The lottery win, though, was secured much earlier, as part of the May 8 draw, the lottery clarified. Hodge really didn’t put much thought into his actions – he scooped up the ticket at random and didn’t bother to enter the numbers himself, allowing the terminal to "quick pick" for him, allocating randomized numbers.

Yet, he needn’t worry about a thing, as all five numbers needed to claim the top prize were a match and Hodge – a winner indeed!

The odds of getting these numbers right are 1 in 962,598. In the recent New Jersey jackpot win, 19 people came very close to hitting these numbers, with four matched numbers, but the fifth one eluded them.

Hodge has been all zen about his win, sharing that he didn’t expect to grab the top prize, but added: "When it’s my time, then it’s my time." Granted, this is not enough to see him through retirement, but he is alright with this as well.

"A nice little cushion," Hodge acknowledged.

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