$1M Powerball Win Stuns New Mom From Howard County, Plans To Put Winnings In Savings

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A 30-year-old mom from Howard County who loves to play the lottery ended up winning $1 million in the July 19 Powerball. She missed the historic $1.08 billion jackpot by just one number.

When she and her family were in town, she reminded them they needed to stop and buy tickets. They stopped at River Hill Sunoco in Clarksville and purchased a $10 ticket with five lines of numbers. The loyal player used numbers of significance to her for four of the lines and let the terminal quick pick one line of numbers. It wasn’t until the next day that she discovered her millionaire status, the Maryland Lottery shared.

“I actually scanned the winning ticket on my phone the next day,” said the winner’s husband, a federal employee. The message that appeared said to contact the Lottery. “I called my wife and said, ‘If you win, will you share it with me?’”

The lucky lady was in disbelief as her husband started reading back the winning numbers to her.

“I knew those were some of my numbers,” said the healthcare worker. “And, when I saw where the ($1 million winning) ticket was bought, I knew it was me.”

She matched the first five white balls but missed the red Powerball, taking home a second-tier $1 million win. When claiming the prize with her husband, the new mom told Lottery officials that realization of her lucky win is still sinking in. The couple say they will put the winnings into savings.

“It’s not life changing,” said the lucky winner. “But, it’s nice to have a little cushion and security.”

Also celebrating the Marylander’s $1 million second-tier win is River Hill Sunoco. The Howard County lottery retailer located at 5015 Signal Bell Lane will receive a $2,500 bonus for selling the second-tier winning ticket.