Lucky North Carolina grandmother won $200K lottery prize

A North Carolina grandmother almost forgot to buy a scratch-off ticket, but after turning around on her way home, she picked up a ticket that won her $200,000. 

Trina Cotton says she usually goes to the same store to buy a lottery ticket, according to the North Carolina Lottery.

After a nail appointment Friday night, she started to head home but then realized she’d forgotten to buy a scratch off-ticket.

“There was a store right across the street from the salon, but I did a U-turn and drove about 20 minutes to go to my usual store,” Cotton told lottery officials.

“I listened to the voice in my head telling me to go to my store.” She bought her lucky $5 Mega Bucks ticket at Turner’s Mini Mart in Rocky Mount.

While scratching the ticket at home, Cotton couldn’t believe what she was seeing, even though lottery officials say she’d been telling people for years she would win big playing the lottery.

“I thought, ‘This can’t be right.’ I had to put my glasses on to make sure I was seeing it right,” she said.

Cotton collected her prize Monday at lottery headquarters.

She received $142,501 after state and federal tax withholdings. She plans to use the money to make sure her family members, including her nine grandchildren, are comfortable.

“I really have dreamed about this,” she said.

“If somebody in my family calls out for help, now I am able to help them.” Cotton won the first top prize in the Mega Bucks game, which debuted in June. Seven $200,000 prizes remain to be claimed