BALTIMORE, MD—A Maryland truck driver is $1 million richer after uncovering a second-tier Mega Millions prize on a ticket he almost threw away.

An Anne Arundel County man told Maryland Lottery officials this week that he buys tickets weekly. Each time, he selects a different set of games, including Mega Millions. He usually checks his tickets carefully, but was interrupted while doing so after the October 15 drawing.

“While I was comparing my tickets to the winning numbers, I had to stop to take care of something in the house,” he said. When he returned to the task, he accidentally picked up one ticket off.

The winner shared his story with a family member the next day, telling her he was about to throw the tickets away. She offered to scan them on her Maryland Lottery app, just to be sure, and discovered the $2 quick-pick ticket was worth a $1 million prize.

The winner purchased the lucky ticket at Check Cash Depot, located at 8 16th Avenue in Brooklyn.

The truck driver told Maryland Lottery officials he is considering using the prize money to buy a new home and a car for his family.

The next drawing on Friday, November 8, offers an estimated jackpot annuity of $334 million, with a cash option of $155.7 million.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.