Pikesville physician wins top prize on $250,000 Rich scratch-off.
When a Pikesville area doctor began to experience bulging eyes and shortness of breath, it didn’t take him very long to nail down the diagnosis. It wasn’t a medical condition. It was a very lucky Lottery scratch-off ticket.
This week the lucky physician scratched his way to a win that is guaranteed to get most hearts racing: a $250,000 top prize on the $250,000 Rich ticket.
The doctor said he purchased the $10 ticket on the way to the office, quickly scratching the prize check code and then scanning it before going on his way. But when he scanned the ticket, something out of the ordinary happened. The message he received on the ticket checker said “See Lottery,” which left the 72 year-old scratching his head. It wasn’t until later that he was able to fully diagnose what was happening with his $250,000 Rich scratch-off.
As he took a break from work, he pulled out the ticket and began to scratch the rest of it, and that’s when things began to come into focus. He revealed a lucky number that matched one of the winning numbers on the ticket – and underneath it was a $250,000 prize!
“Oh my God – I couldn’t believe it,” he said, adding that he quickly called his wife, who also couldn’t believe his good fortune until he arrived at home with the ticket later that afternoon.
The lucky winner said he plans to put his prize to work in savings and investments, explaining that after more than 40 years in medicine, he is beginning to think about retirement. He added that he also plans to share part of the prize with family and use a portion for a multi-stop tour of national parks this summer.
The retail spot where this dose of Lottery luck was delivered is the Royal Farms store located at 11119 McCormick Road in Hunt Valley. For selling the winning scratch-off, the Baltimore County store will earn a $1,000 retailer bonus. The popular $250,000 Rich scratch-off, which launched in February, now has a just one remaining unclaimed $250,000 prize. There are also three unclaimed $20,000 prizes, eight $10,000 prizes and thousands of additional prizes ranging from $10 to $1,000.