Waiting for a car to be repaired can be long and boring, but one Arlington man's wait became exciting when he won $2.5 million Wednesday.
While his car was in the shop, John Johns walked to the 7-Eleven at 7333 Richmond Highway in Alexandria for a cup of coffee. He decided to buy a few Virginia Lottery scratch tickets while he was there, and that’s when he won the top prize in the $2,500,000 Cash Winfall game.
“I had to look two or three times to make sure,” Johns told the Virginia Lottery. “I just put the ticket in my pocket and left the store.”
Johns returned to the 7-Eleven Thursday to claim his check from the Virginia Lottery. He had the choice of taking the full $2.5 million in annual payments over 30 years or a one-time cash option of $1,351,351 before taxes. He chose the cash option, according to the Virginia Lottery. The 7-Eleven will also receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
The scratch-off game features prizes ranging from $20 to $2.5 million. Johns claimed the first top prize, and two more have yet to be claimed.
Johns has no immediate plans for his winnings but said that there may be a vacation in his future.
“It feels good,” he said. “It’s still sinking in.”
