Johnston County couple wins $100K scratch-off while driving home from newly-purchased beach house

KENLY, N.C. (WTVD) -- They bought a new beach house. Then, while driving home, they won $100,000.

Mark Stephenson couldn't believe it. He and his wife were stunned.

"We just closed on our beach house yesterday and we were on our way back when we stopped at a Speedway and bought the ticket," Stephenson said. "The two tickets I was going to buy were both sold out so I bought that one instead."

The one he bought was the $2 million Riches ticket.

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Stephenson's wife actually scratched off the ticket while he drove down the road.

"She just started screaming," Stephenson recalled. "I had to pull off at a Bojangles so we could collect our thoughts."

The Stephensons took home $71,256 after taxes. They plan to use the money to help pay for the beach house and make some renovations on it.

"We are just very blessed and very thankful," he said.

The $2,000,000 Riches scratch-off game debuted in May with four $2 million top prizes and eight $100,000 prizes. Three $2 million prizes and four $100,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

$econd-chance wins

Meanwhile, in Rocky Mount, Michael McGee did not win his initial lottery purchase. But, in a second-chance drawing, he won $1 million!

Anyone who buys a lottery ticket can scan their tickets into their lottery accounts for points. Those points can then be exchanged for entries into second-chance drawings.

McGee had one of 1.3 million entries into the third 200X The Cash drawing, and his entry won. After taxes, he took home $427,500.

In another second chance drawing, Linda McCall of Fayetteville won a $200,000 prize.

Lottery officials made the announcement Wednesday, July 12. McCall won the prize in the third 200X The Cash second-chance drawing on July 5.

The drawing received more than 1.3 million entries, according to the NCEL.

After required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $142,500.

Winners of second-chance drawings get notified of their wins by email or phone call from the lottery.

The 200X The Cash game features four second-chance drawings. Each drawing offers one $1 million prize, one $200,000 prize, and 25 $500 prizes. New entries go into the fourth second-chance drawing. No date for the final drawing has been scheduled.