Christiansburg woman wins $1 million by mistake

miriam long winner
Miriam Long (Virginia Lottery)

She accidently got a Powerball ticket that wins million-dollar prize

From Virginia Lottery

Miriam Long wanted to buy a Mega Millions ticket. The Mega Millions jackpot was getting a lot of attention with an estimated $893 million jackpot, and the Christiansburg woman wanted to get in the game.

However, when she went to the Virginia Lottery machine at the CVS at 1775 South Main Street in Blacksburg, she accidently hit the button for a Powerball ticket.

That “accidental” ticket ended up matching the first five winning numbers in the March 18 Powerball drawing to win $1 million.

“It’s the best mistake of my life!” she told Lottery officials.

The winning numbers were 10-17-20-39-44, and the Powerball number was 16. The only number she didn’t match was the Powerball number. She used Easy Pick and allowed the computer to randomly select the numbers on her ticket.

She’s not the only winner. Retailers that sell a $1 million winning ticket receive a $10,000 bonus from the Virginia Lottery.

When she discovered how much she’d won, Ms. Long said she couldn’t believe it.

“My heart was pounding!” she said. “It’s overwhelming!”

Powerball drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The odds of matching all six numbers to win the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25.

All Virginia Lottery profits go to K-12 education in Virginia. Ms. Long lives in Montgomery County, VA, which received more than $5.3 million in Lottery funds for K-12 education last fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2023, the Lottery raised more than $867 million for K-12 education, making up approximately 10 percent of Virginia’s total K-12 school budget.

For a complete list of Lottery funds distributed to Virginia school districts, visit the Virginia Lottery’s Giving Back page. For general information or to play games online, visit the Virginia Lottery’s website or download the Lottery’s app. Connect with the Lottery on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube.

With all gaming, please play responsibly.