NJ Gas Station Manager Says He Sold Winning Powerball Ticket - East Idaho News
National

NJ Gas Station Manager Says He Sold Winning Powerball Ticket

  Published at

Getty N 110311 PowerballLotto?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1364209591854Photo by William Thomas Cain/Getty Images(BORDENTOWN, N.J.) — The single Powerball ticket sold in New Jersey that matched all six numbers in Saturday night’s $338.3 million jackpot drawing was sold at a popular truck stop close to the New Jersey Turnpike, according to the store’s manager.

The manager of Love’s Travel Stops & Country Store in Bordentown, N.J., said he was in the process of changing shifts when he received a call from a happy driver claiming to have the winning ticket.

“Upon listening to his voice he did sound happy, kind of like a relief like he wouldn’t have to work as hard and nice to hear that for someone,” store manager Isaiah DeVries told ABC News early this morning.

DeVries says the ticket was most likely sold to a regular.

“I’m sure if I were to see his face I would recognize him. He claimed to be a usual here in the store,” DeVries said.

Lottery officials are expected to hold a press conference later Monday to officially announce the location of where the winning ticket was sold.

Love’s is a popular stop for many truck drivers passing through the Garden State. Eric Johnson has been a truck driver for five years, and realizes he was in the right spot but just didn’t have the right numbers.

“I wish it was me. I’m happy for him, but I wish it was me. Being a truck driver is hard,” Johnson said.

If the winner takes the lump sum of $211 million, that person could afford 105 private submarines, 24 Caribbean islands and 17 vintage Ferrari Testa Rossas.

People at Love’s had been dreaming big for days leading up to the drawing, but only one man will be driving off into the sunset a millionaire.

“Shucks it wasn’t me, but congrats for him. Pretty happy for him,” DeVries said.

In case you were wondering, the winning numbers were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31.

The price of a Powerball ticket doubled in January 2012 from $1 a game to $2, which has accounted for the swelling jackpots.

“We redesigned the game and with more money going into the game, the jackpot prize pool has doubled so more people are playing because the jackpot is growing higher,” Multi-State Lottery Association President Jim Haynes said.

Powerball is offered in 44 states and your chances of striking it rich are one in 175,000,000, meaning you’d have been 25 times more likely to win an Academy Award.

After all, dreaming big is part of the Powerball fun, even for the more than 80 million people whose tickets are now worthless.

“For $2, it’s inexpensive entertainment and you can buy a part of the dream,” Haynes said.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION