For Latoshia Milton of Blythewood, S.C., a family road trip took an unexpected turn when she won a $1 million lottery prize.

Milton’s good fortune started Friday morning when her husband stopped for gas at the Shopton Commons BP on Steele Creek Road in Charlotte. While he was pumping, Milton went inside and bought a $1,000,000 Back Scratch scratch-off ticket. She got into the car and started scratching.

“I saw the matching numbers and stopped scratching,” Milton said. “I opened the door and told my husband, ‘Babe. I think we won something.’ All I could do was cry we just sat there hugging each other.”

They made a U-turn and headed to lottery headquarters in Raleigh to claim their prize. Milton had the choice of taking an annuity that has 20 payments of $50,000 a year or a lump sum of $600,000. She chose the lump sum. After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $423,009. She plans to use the money to pay off her mortgage and car payments.

“Those are the main stresses,” Milton said. “That’s a huge burden lifted. It’s such a relief.”

The $10 ticket launched in September with five top prizes of $1 million. Three top prizes remain.

Ticket sales from games like $1,000,000 Back Scratch make it possible for the lottery to raise more than $650 million a year for education. For details on how lottery funds are making a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.