LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A man and woman from Louisville who had been friends since high school will share a $1 million prize from last week's Mega Millions drawing.
The pair who wish to remain anonymous tell Kentucky Lottery officials that they were out one night and needed to stop for gas.
Their usual gas station was crowded, so they instead stopped at the Five Star on Cane Run Road in Louisville.
The woman wanted to get a Mega Millions ticket before the drawing for the $1.35 billion jackpot on Jan. 13. Her friend handed her $5, and she bought two $2 tickets and let the computer pick the numbers.
The next morning, the man said he grabbed the tickets off his refrigerator and checked the winning numbers. He realized one ticket matched all five numbers but not the mega ball.
"I wasn’t sure how much we had won,” the man told Lottery officials. “I called my friend, and as soon as I told her, she knew right away it was for a million dollars.”
The woman said she couldn't believe it until her friend sent a picture of the ticket.
They went to the Kentucky Lottery headquarters to pickup their winnings. Each got a check for $357,500 after taxes.
The man said he plans to put his winnings toward buying a place to live and a car, while she hopes it will help her prepare for retirement.
Five Star will get a $10,000 bonus for selling that winning ticket.
The $1.35 billion jackpot winning ticket was sold in Maine. Information on that winner has not been announced. That winner may also choose to remain anonymous.
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