Pineville man wins $1 million Mega Millions prize after asking family to pick numbers

David Morris of Pineville, won a $1 million Mega Millions prize in Tuesday's drawing after asking his children to choose his lottery numbers.

Morris, who doesn't typically play Mega Millions, decided to go for it when he saw the big jackpot. He got the winning numbers from one of his sons.

He discovered his good luck after he heard that a $1 million ticket had been bought in Pineville and that no one had claimed the prize.

"I started hyperventilating," he laughed. "I called my wife at work and told her to come home right away."

Morris matched numbers on all five white balls to win $1 million. He bought the lucky ticket from the 7-Eleven on South Polk Street in Pineville. He claimed his prize on Friday at lottery headquarters and, after required federal and state tax withholdings, took home $712,501.

Morris said he plans to use the money to buy some land in the Smoky Mountains, where his wife is from.

The Mega Millions jackpot on Friday was raised to $1.35 billion, or $659.5 million in cash. It ranks as the fourth largest in U.S. history. The odds of winning a Mega Millions jackpot are 1 in 302 million.

"It's great to see a $1 million Mega Millions winner like David here in North Carolina," said Mark Michalko, executive director of the N.C. Education Lottery. "Of course, we would love to see a new billionaire in the state tonight. Check your tickets carefully and good luck to everyone going for the jackpot tonight."

Ticket sales from draw games like Mega Millions make it possible for the lottery to raise $2.5 million a day on average for education. For details on how $61.8 million raised by the lottery made a difference in Mecklenburg County last year, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the "Impact" section.