Maryland Man Uses License Plate Numbers from Rude Driver for Lottery Game, Wins $500K Prize

One Maryland man's frustrating road incident had a winning outcome.

An Anne Arundel County resident played the license plate numbers of a car that cut him off on the road in the Pick 5 lottery and won half a million dollars.

On Dec. 23, 2024, the Glen Burnie local was returning to Maryland from out of town when a vehicle cut him off on the highway. Agitated, he made note of the driver's license plate number. He later purchased lottery tickets at Doc's F&B Liquors and "played the number straight for $1, pocketing 10 identical but separate tickets," according to Maryland Lottery officials.

“I figure if you’re going to play, you should play big,” the man, who's a technician, said.

Related: Md. Man Wins $50K on Lottery 3 Times in 11 Months with the Same Exact Number: 'You Never Know'

The next morning, he "scanned the tickets using the Lottery app on the phone" and was shocked to discover that he'd won $50,000 on each ticket, for a total of $500,000.

The lucky winner reportedly shared the news with his mother, who was "very happy for him." The technician plans to invest some of the money from his financial windfall while using the rest to pay bills.

Doc's F&B Liquors in Glen Burnie also received a $5,000 bonus for selling the tickets.

This isn't the first time a Maryland resident has used a license plate as inspiration for lottery numbers. In September 2023, a 50-year-old woman played the license plate numbers of her new car in a Pick 5 lottery and won $50,000.

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After purchasing a new car, a Baltimore woman decided she didn't like her tag number and requested a new one, to no avail. Shortly after, she said the number "kept appearing everywhere."

Related: Woman Wins Lotto — Then Her Boyfriend Calls Her ‘Greedy’ for Not Sharing the Winnings 

“I saw it on paperwork at my job, on other car tags, on TV, everywhere," she told Maryland Lottery officials. She began playing her license plate number, 91104, a few times a week. Then, a $1 Pick 5 ticket purchased on Sept. 10 led to her winning $50,000.

“I just started crying,” the winner said. “I really never thought it would actually come out.” Her husband added that the money "could not have come at a better time.”

The couple used their winnings to pay bills and saved the rest. The Baltimore retailer that sold the ticket, Jack’s Fine Food, also received a $500 bonus.

Read the original article on People