GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Talk about a close one.
Frank Clark is $200,000 richer, but he almost threw away his winnings — literally.
"I didn't think I won anything at first," Clark said of his $5 Mega Millions/Powerball scratch-off ticket. "I was going to throw it away, but then my wife checked it for me. I always let her check them. She has better eyesight than I do."
After Clark's wife took a second look at the ticket, it turns out he had a winner in his hands. He claimed his prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh Tuesday. After taxes, the retired trucker brought home over $141,000 and plans to use the money to buy his own tractor-trailer truck.
"I was a truck driver for 38 years before I retired," Clark said. "This will let me still do some driving."
The new scratch-off game launched Tuesday with four top prizes of $200,000. Clark is the first player to win one of the top prizes.
Lottery officials say the game helps raise more than $650 million for education annually.
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