Trucker says he'll put his lottery winnings toward a new house

Updated May 20, 2025
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North Carolina Lottery

An Alabama truck driver is planning on purchasing a new house with his recent lottery winnings.

Jonathan Hodge of Luverne, Alabama, was driving through North Carolina when he purchased a Cash 5 ticket and won a $120,000 jackpot.

Hodge said he plans to use his winnings for a down payment on a house.

“It was pretty cool,” he said.

Hodge bought his Quick Pick ticket using Online Play. His ticket matched all five numbers in the May 8 drawing to win the jackpot. The odds of matching all five balls are 1 in 962,598, according to North Carolina's lottery agency.

“I’ve always said, ‘When it’s my time, then it’s my time,'” Hodge said.

He couldn’t believe it at first when he saw he won.

“I kept reading it over and over,” Hodge said.

He claimed his prize at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $86,109.