A lucky punter scooped a USD 1 Million lotto jackpot when she stopped for petrol after a Christmas shopping trip.

Astonished Laura Keen – from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA – had stopped to refuel at a 7-Eleven service station where she bought a single scratch-off ticket.

As she scratched away she discovered the USD 30 ticket was worth a breathtaking win of USD 1 Million (GBP 832,000).

Newsflash obtained a statement from the North Carolina State Lottery on Tuesday, 29th of November, saying: “After shopping for Christmas gifts, Laura Keen of Winston-Salem and her boyfriend stopped immediately for gas when their truck’s low fuel light lit up and found the best Black Friday deal of the day in a USD 30 scratch-off with a USD 1 million prize.”

Keen told lottery officials on Monday, while collecting her prize: “We would never have won that if that gas light had not gone off.”

The lottery officials added: “Keen’s good luck occurred at the 7-Eleven on South Main Street in Kernersville.

“While getting the gas and some coffee, Keen also played her favorite scratch-off game and bought a single Millionaire Maker ticket.

“A few minutes later, a celebration broke out in the couple’s truck in the store’s parking lot.”

Keen said: “I was screaming. He was screaming. We both were screaming. We were just in shock, just shock.”

The lottery officials added: “When Keen arrived at lottery headquarters Monday to collect her prize, she had a decision to make. She could choose to receive the prize as an annuity of USD 50,000 [41,622] over 20 years or a lump sum of USD 600,000 [GBP 500,000]. She chose the lump-sum amount of USD 600,000 and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home USD 426,069 [354,681].”

Keen told lottery officials she planned to “be smart” with her winnings but added that she may use some to take a small holiday.