Photo: Getty Images
A lucky lottery player in North Carolina will finally achieve his dream of buying a new car after scoring a huge six-figure win.
Thomas Perry, of Gastonia, recently stopped by the Save Mart on Union Road where he picked up a $5 Ruby Red 7's lottery ticket, according to a release from the NC Education Lottery. His purchased ended up bringing him good luck, discovering when he returned to his car to scratch the ticket that he won the $200,000 prize.
"When I saw the number, I had to go back in the store and scan it to see if it was real," he recalled.
Perry claimed his prized at lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Tuesday (May 17), taking home a grand total of $142,501 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. When asked what he plans to do with his new winnings, he told lottery officials he will finally be able to get the new car he has been dreaming of for years. Though he doesn't know what kind of car he wants to get just yet, he wants to make sure it is "something dependable."
"You just don't know how much this win will help me," Perry said. "Now I can finally get my car." He added, "I'm just happy I can finally get some things I really need."
According to lottery officials, the Ruby Red 7's game launched in December 2022 with six grand prizes of $200,000. Following Perry's win, one prize remains to be claimed.