Grocery shopping ends with 82-year-old man winning $2 million

LANSING, Mich. (WILX/Gray News) – A routine grocery shopping trip paid off for an 82-year-old Michigan man when he bought a lottery ticket worth $2 million, WILX reports.

Hugh Leach, 82, bought the winning ticket for the Diamonds & Gold instant game while shopping at a Meijer store in Mason, according to a news release from the Michigan Lottery.

“I buy a $20 ticket every two weeks,” Leach said in the release. “When I finished up grocery shopping, I stopped at the lottery machine and purchased a ticket on my way out.”

After unloading the groceries at home, Leach scratched his ticket and was shocked by what he saw.

“When I saw I matched ‘02′ for a $2 million prize, I thought: ‘Wait a minute. This can’t be right.’ I looked the ticket over a few more times and then said to my wife: ‘I think I just won $2 million!’” he said.

He called the lottery the next day to confirm he really won.

“You see these types of things happen to other people, but you never think it will be you. So, winning was a complete shock,” Leach said.

Leach chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment of about $1.3 million, instead of the full amount in annuity payments. He says he plans to use the money to buy a new car and lawn mower and finish up some home repairs. He will then invest the rest.

“Going to the grocery store to fill your pantry and finding out you also filled your bank account must be an incredible feeling!” said lottery commissioner Suzanna Shkreli in the news release.

The Michigan Lottery says players have won more than $19 million playing Diamonds & Gold, which launched in March. More than $84 million in prizes are left, including two $2 million top prizes.

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