Woman realizes she won big Powerball prize during commute. ‘And I still went to work’

A Missouri lottery player realized she won a huge Powerball prize while on her way to work, officials said.

The woman, who was not named, bought her winning ticket at a convenience store in Bloomfield, according to an Aug. 17 news release from the Missouri Lottery.

Her ticket matched four of five white balls drawn on Aug. 7 in addition to the Powerball, bringing her total winnings to $50,000, officials said.

Though she became aware of her prize while commuting, news of the hefty sum didn’t change her plans.

“I still went to work!” she told lottery officials.

Bloomfield is located about 150 miles south of St. Louis.

To score a jackpot in the Powerball, a player must match all five white balls and the red Powerball.

The odds of scoring the jackpot prize are 1 in 292,201,338.

Tickets cost $2 and can be bought on the day of the drawing, but sales times vary by state.

Drawings are broadcast Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:59 p.m. ET and can be streamed online.

Powerball is played in 45 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

This story was originally published August 17, 2023 at 6:41 PM with the headline "Woman realizes she won big Powerball prize during commute. ‘And I still went to work’."