MI Man Wins $2M On Scratch-Off Ticket He Almost Threw Away

ISABELLA COUNTY, MI — A man said it's a miracle his $2 million winning lottery ticket didn't end up in the trash, according to Michigan Lottery officials.

The 29-year-old player, who chose to remain anonymous, bought his winning ticket at Shepherd E-Z Mart, located at 550 East Wright Avenue in Shepherd, which is roughly 10 miles southeast of Mount Pleasant, lottery officials said.

The man said he initially thought the scratch-off ticket was a loser, so he threw it into the center counsel of his truck and drove around with it there for roughly four months before realizing it was a winner, lottery officials said.

Recently, the man told lottery officials his wife gave him a few tickets to take to the store and check if they're winners, so he then grabbed the tickets in my center console to double-check.

"When I scanned the Money ticket, I got a message to file a claim at the Lottery office," the lucky player said. "I went back out to my truck to look the ticket over and realized I’d matched number 13. When I revealed the ‘$2 MIL’ symbol underneath, I was speechless. It is a miracle this ticket didn’t end up in the trash!"

The lucky player chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $1.3 million, rather than annuity payments for the full amount, lottery officials said.

He plans to invest his winnings, lottery officials said.

"I don’t plan on making any big purchases with the money, but rather use it as a nice financial cushion for our family," the player said.