Man from Des Moines wins $300,000 lottery prize

CLIVE, Iowa — Curtis Smith didn’t intend to get the lottery ticket that he purchased. When Smith went to buy his favorite scratch ticket Colossal Crossword, he discovered it was sold out.

What at first was a coincidence ended in Smith winning $300,000 from the Win Big scratch game.

“I got in my car and scratched it off, and I couldn’t believe it,” Smith said. “I’m fumbling to get my phone to check it and finally, it came up that I won $300,000.”

After hearing the good news, Smith sat in shock. He said he sent a screenshot of the prize amount to a group of his friends, who were surprised as well.

Smith said that he and his wife Anna plan on spending the winnings on a new home, paying off debts and purchasing a headstone for his mother’s gravesite.