Grandma afraid to drive into Missouri storm stops for Powerball ticket — and wins big

Afraid to drive into a summer storm, a Missouri grandma decided to stop at a convenience store and wait it out.

“There were two lightning bolts that both hit at the same time right next to me,” she recalled to lottery officials. “I told my husband, ‘I don’t want to drive into that storm.’”

While at On the Run in St. Clair, she purchased a Powerball ticket for the July 1 drawing, according to a July 14 news release from the Missouri Lottery.

She checked her ticket the next morning and realized she had matched the Powerball and four of the five white balls. This qualified her for a $50,000 prize.

“I almost didn’t stop!” the woman recalled when claiming her big win. “I can’t believe this. It is exciting.”

She plans to use her winnings to support her grandchildren, officials said.

St. Clair is about 50 miles southwest of downtown St. Louis.

This story was originally published July 14, 2023 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Grandma afraid to drive into Missouri storm stops for Powerball ticket — and wins big."