A lucky teenager has scooped a cool USD 200,000 on his third-ever lottery ticket.

DIY store worker Cody Plemmons, 18, of Arden, North Carolina, USA, bought a scratch card on a whim while paying for a snack at a petrol station.

He was astonished when he found it had netted him a whopping USD 200,000 (GBP 166,000).

Cody told lottery officials: “I honestly don’t even know why I got one. I just thought, ‘Why not.’

“We mainly stopped at the gas station for a drink and a snack.

“I couldn’t believe it when I won. This is only the third lottery ticket I’ve ever bought.”

After tax, he took home USD 142,501 (GBP 119,000).

He plans to put the cash into savings.

The North Carolina Education Lottery said in a statement: “Cody Plemmons of Arden bought a lottery ticket for only the third time in his life and bagged a $200,000 prize.

“Plemmons, an 18-year-old lumber worker at Lowe’s, said he made a last-minute decision to buy a scratch-off at the counter.

“He bought his lucky $5 Cash Payout ticket from Stanley’s BP on U.S. 25/70 in Marshall during a stop on a day trip to Tennessee.

“Plemmons arrived at lottery headquarters Tuesday [3rd January] to collect his prize and, after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $142,501.

“He said he will put his winnings into savings.

“Cash Payout debuted in May with five $200,000 prizes. One $200,000 prize remains to be claimed.”