A North Carolina couple watched a movie — then their night got a Hollywood ending.
After the flick, Teddy Sparks said he stopped to buy a lottery ticket and learned it was worth $100,000.
“My wife was scratching the ticket and then her hands started shaking and she started freaking out,” Sparks told the N.C. Education Lottery in a Dec. 19 news release.
Officials said the couple celebrated the big win after Sparks went to a Circle K in Jacksonville, roughly 120 miles southeast of Raleigh and home to the Camp Lejeune military base.
While at the convenience store’s North Marine Boulevard location, Sparks said he spent $25 on a ticket for the Spectacular Riches scratch-off game. His wife later checked to see how much he won.
“I told her, ‘Don’t freak out and have a heart attack before we can get the money,’” Sparks told the N.C. Education Lottery while laughing.
Sparks, a truck driver living in the Onslow County community of Hubert, kept $71,017 after taxes. The 68-year-old plans to put his prize money toward bills and savings, according to officials.
It’s not the first time news of a big lottery win has shocked a spouse.
Last year, a man was pumping gas when his wife told him he hit the jackpot in South Carolina, leaving him stunned, McClatchy News reported.
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