Third time’s the charm for David Partain, a truck driver from Chattanooga, Tennessee.
After three scratch-off plays during a recent haul, he became the newest Tennessee Lottery winner.
Partain scored a $2 million prize.
Tennessee welcomes another lottery winner
The third-generation truck driver has been towing cargo 30 years and enjoys playing the lottery for fun during travel.
One particular Sunday, Partain stood in the parking lot of the Eagle Travel Center in Soddy Daisy.
Like most days, he leaned against the hood of his long haul truck and scratched off his most recent Mega Millionaire Jumbo Bucks ticket.
Partain had previously purchased a ticket that won him $25. He then used those winnings to pick up another scratch-off, which resulted in him winning a third ticket for free.
That free ticket turned out to be the score of a lifetime.
Partain looked down at his third scratch-off in pure shock. It revealed the top prize of $2 million.
Naturally, the big win took a moment to sink in.
“I saw it, but I didn’t believe it. I went numb.”
Partain then called his wife to reveal the news.
“I called her and said, ‘I hit it.’ She thought I’d wrecked the truck.”
Partain’s initial plans for his winnings include purchasing a new house for his wife, paying off his truck loan, and investing in a new car for his teenage daughter.
Odds for this particular game are 1:2.91. That means, Partain had a 25.57% chance of winning a prize off each ticket. Odds of him snagging the $2 million top prize were significantly lower.
How to play the lotto
The lottery launched on Jan. 20, 2004 in Tennessee. Since then, 309 tickets worth $1 million or more have been sold throughout the state.
A variety of instant win scratch-offs and drawing-style contests are available for those interested in playing the Tennessee Lottery.
Mega Millions and Powerball are the two primary options for drawing-style games.
The next Mega Millions drawing takes place Friday, March 12. The current jackpot sits at $79 million, or $54.4 million in cash after fees and taxes.
As far as Powerball goes, the upcoming drawing happens Saturday, March 13 with a $169 million jackpot, or a $116.1 million cash option.
Seven Tennesseans have claimed the Powerball jackpot since its debut.
A list of locations where these games can be found is located on the Tennessee Lottery website.
