(BERLIN, Md.)- A 51-year-old heating, ventilation and air conditioning employee from Berlin has claimed the winning lottery ticket, lottery officials said Wednesday.
The Worcester County man who stopped at his local Food Lion in search of affordable limes also bagged his second Powerball ticket of the day - but this one wound up a $1 million winner.
The father of four had already bought one Powerball ticket in Delaware for the Saturday, Jan. 9 drawing when he decided to run his grocery errand. He needed two limes and had passed up the chance to buy them at a previous store because he thought they were too expensive. While his significant other waited in their vehicle, the Powerball player ran into the Berlin Food Lion to grab the limes and - at the last minute - a $6 Maryland Lottery Powerball Quick-Pick ticket.
That night, the longtime couple watched the football playoffs together until she decided to give up on the late-running game and go to sleep. The 51-year-old finished watching the game and remembered his Powerball tickets.
"I checked my numbers, unfortunately, because I didn't sleep well," he said. "I was numb."
He signed the ticket and placed it in a safe until he could claim his prize at Lottery headquarters in Baltimore. He was one of 28 second-tier Powerball winners across the country in the Jan. 9 drawing, and was also the only second-tier winner in Maryland.
The winner told lottery officials he plans to pay off the couple's debts and his four children's college loans.