April 9, 2024

Woman wins $1M jackpot after buying lottery ticket by mistake

WATCH: Powerball jackpot sets record

A woman in Virginia is $1 million richer thanks to a self-described mistake.

"It's the best mistake of my life," Miriam Long told Virginia Lottery officials.

Long, who lives near Roanoke, Virginia, said she went to a local CVS in March to purchase a ticket for Mega Millions, which at the time had a nearly $900 million jackpot.

While using a Virginia Lottery machine to purchase a Mega Millions ticket, Long said she accidentally pressed a button for a Powerball ticket instead.

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Luckily for Long, the Powerball ticket she mistakenly purchased matched the first five winning numbers in the Powerball drawing on March 18, which had an estimated $656 million jackpot.

The five matching numbers -- which were selected by the computer -- resulted in Long winning $1 million, according to the Virginia Lottery.

Virginia Lottery
Miriam Long matched the first five winning numbers in the March 18 Powerball drawing to win $1 million.

"My heart was pounding," Long said of her win. "It's overwhelming."

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According to the Powerball website, Long was one of five $1 million winners across the country in the March 18 drawing.

There were no jackpot winners and one person in Florida was a $2 million winner.

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The current Powerball jackpot is an estimated $31 million. The next drawing will take place on Wednesday.