$1M Virginia Lottery Prize Claimed By Arlington County Trucker

ARLINGTON, VA — A truck driver from Arlington was driving through Texas when he discovered that he had the winning numbers in the Virginia’s New Year’s Millionaire Raffle and won $1 million.

“I was by myself in the truck,” Berhane Meharena later told Virginia Lottery officials. “I was screaming!”

Although Meharena drove back to his home in Arlington as soon as he could, he wasn't immediately able to claim his prize because he became ill. When if felt better, he drove down to the Virginia Lottery's Woodbridge office and claimed his prize.

Meharena purchased his winning ticket #485284 at the Harris Teeter at 950 South George Mason Drive in Arlington. He was one of five million-dollar winners in New Year’s Millionaire Raffle. The other tickets were bought in Fredericksburg, Leesburg, Manassas and Stafford.

Seven tickets purchased in Henrico, Lynchburg, Manassas, Poquoson, Suffolk, Virginia Beach and Yorktown. won $100,000 each. The raffle also had 1,000 $500 prizes.

In the last fiscal year, Arlington County, where Meharena lives, received more than $5 million in funds for K-12 education from the Virginia Lottery.