North Carolina Healthcare Worker Celebrates Winning Big Lottery Prize

A healthcare worker in North Carolina proved that "third time's the charm" when her third choice lottery ticket won her a big prize.

Veronica Burt, of Raleigh, was driving home from her job at an assisted living facility on October 30 when she made a stop at a Murphy USA in Apex to pick up a lottery ticket. Her first two choices of ticket weren't available so she ended up purchasing a couple different options, including a $5 Ruby Mine ticket that won her $200,000, according to the NC Education Lottery.

"I was looking for another ticket," said Burt. "They didn't have it, so I asked the clerk for another ticket. They didn't have that one either, so I asked her, 'What do you have?' I ended up getting one Spectacular Riches ticket and two Ruby Mine tickets."

According to lottery officials, it wasn't until she was home that she found out she won. Burt and her father have a tradition of playing the lottery together, so it was actually her father who discovered the winning ticket.

"The next thing I knew I heard my name being called," she said. "He screamed my name twice — real loud! He handed the ticket to me. I had to look and then I had to look again."

They couldn't contain their excitement, celebrating the win with a hug. Burt claimed her prize at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Wednesday (November 3), bringing home a total of $141,501 after state and federal taxes that she plans to use for bills and saving for her retirement.