LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Luck struck twice for a Kentucky couple who thought they lost a winning Powerball ticket.
The Bowling Green couple found out in November that they had won $50,000 but couldn't find the ticket they had purchased about a week before, the Kentucky Lottery said in a news release.
Mark Perdue said the owner at AM Express congratulated him when he walked into the convenience store.
“I said, ‘for what?’ And she said, ‘You won the lottery.’ I said, ‘I wish.’ She said, ‘You did, I have you on video.’â€
He and his wife then looked but couldn't find the ticket and thought it might have been thrown away.
“I’ve been beating myself up for three months thinking I threw this ticket away,†his wife said.
Then in February, Perdue, who is president of Kiriu USA, went to check out the condition of a company car and saw the ticket inside. The car, which isn't used often, was needed because a visitor from another plant was in town and needed to use a company vehicle.
“I don’t know how long it might have sat out there if I hadn’t needed the car,†Perdue said. “I was shaking a little bit.â€
He told his wife and the next day they went to lottery headquarters, where they received a check for $36,000 after taxes, the lottery statement said. The couple said they plan to pay off bills and may take a trip.