California Woman Wins Lottery by Accident
Luck was on her side in a very unexpected way.
When LaQuedra Edwards put $40 into a lottery scratchers machine at a Tarzana, Calif. Vons Supermarket last November, luck was on her side in an unexpected way.
Edwards didn’t get to choose her ticket that day; a stranger bumped into her, causing her to accidentally select a $30 200X Scratchers ticket by mistake — and win a $10 million prize.
Edwards the serendipitous encounter, saying, “some rude person” bumped into her, “didn’t say a thing and just walked out the door.” Annoyed that she wouldn’t be able to buy her go-to set of lower-priced tickets, Edwards went back to her car — and got the surprise of a lifetime.
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Scratching off the ticket revealed she’d just won millions. “I didn’t really believe it at first, but I got on the 405 freeway and kept looking down at (the ticket), and I almost crashed my car,” Edwards said. “I pulled over, looked at it again and again, scanned it with my (California Lottery mobile) app, and I just kept thinking this can’t be right.”
Edwards plans to use her winnings to buy a house and start a non-profit organization, and the Vons location that sold the lucky ticket will receive a $50,000 bonus.
How much will Edwards walk away with after taxes? Although California is a relatively high tax state, there’s an (those who bought their tickets in the state, at least.) But those winnings will generally be subject to the highest federal tax rate — 37% — and, when lumped in with overall annual income, may incur local and state taxes.
Related: The Harder You Work, the Luckier You Get
Edwards may not be a full $10 million richer, but it’s safe to say her winnings are worth more than the apology she didn’t get in front of the lotto machine that day.
When LaQuedra Edwards put $40 into a lottery scratchers machine at a Tarzana, Calif. Vons Supermarket last November, luck was on her side in an unexpected way.
Edwards didn’t get to choose her ticket that day; a stranger bumped into her, causing her to accidentally select a $30 200X Scratchers ticket by mistake — and win a $10 million prize.
Edwards the serendipitous encounter, saying, “some rude person” bumped into her, “didn’t say a thing and just walked out the door.” Annoyed that she wouldn’t be able to buy her go-to set of lower-priced tickets, Edwards went back to her car — and got the surprise of a lifetime.
