A simple glance at a license plate turned into a $50,000 jackpot for John Murphy of Washington, D.C.
Murphy was at AJ Liquors on Bladensburg Road in Brentwood, Maryland, getting ready to buy a lottery ticket when he noticed a plate with the numbers 43871. “The first three numbers, 438, are also the start of my cellphone number,” he told Maryland Lottery officials. Taking it as a sign, he used the digits for his Pick 5 ticket—and luck was on his side.
The numbers hit during the Oct. 17 midday drawing, earning him $50,000. “I was in shock. It was the last day of my draw,” Murphy said.
Interestingly, Murphy doesn’t usually play the Maryland Lottery. It was his sister-in-law’s suggestion that got him in the game. “She knows I play in D.C. but said, ‘You need to play in Maryland,’” he explained.
As for the prize, Murphy and his wife, Zina, haven’t made any solid plans yet. But the couple loves to travel, so a vacation—or two—might be in their future.
Sometimes, luck really does strike when you least expect it—and in Murphy’s case, a passing license plate became the perfect sign to play.
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