The Clerk’s mistake led to a lottery won worth $25 million.
Kathy Scruggs, age 44 at the time, from Lithonia, Georgia, told lottery officials she won $25 million because store clerk had misunderstood her with which lottery ticket she wanted. With the winning numbers of 16 – 41 – 42 – 50 – 59 and 5 being the Powerball.
Kathy asked the store clerk at a Shell Food Mart for a Mega Millions ticket, not a Powerball slip. She printed out both the Mega Millions and a Powerball ticket.
Scruggs realised she won the prize the day after the draw and she had woken up everyone in the house. They were all screaming and hollering, and everybody came running.
“We couldn’t believe it.”
She chose the cash option and received $15,124,017 before taxes, according to the Georgia Lottery.
Scruggs had been looking for employment since her seasonal job, relating to high school prom season, wrapped up. Using the winnings to build a home for her mother and her grandmother, and start foundations for the homeless and to provide dental assistance for the needy.
Baljit Suddan, a clerk at the Shell Food Mart in Decatur, Georgia (where the winning ticket was sold), said she would have been the person to have sold the ticket slip. But can’t remember the particular sale.
“Sometimes it happens”
The mixing up of the tickets can happen. People would ask for one thing, and by mistake, we give them something else. It was truly a blessing for her. She said if she had to see a picture of Kathy, it just might jog her memory.
“I just want the lucky lady to come over here so I can see her lucky face,” Suddan said.
The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot were 1 in 195,249,054. It appears Kathy Scruggs beat them without even trying.
