A laid-off man wins a $1 million lottery in Oregon this week, but in an ironic twist has to borrow gas money to make the trip to claim his prize. Riley Gunn shared his story Wednesday with the Associated Press, admitting, he had a hunch he'd win. Despite, knowing his wife would be upset, he spent $16 on lottery tickets and ended up with a $1 million winning ticket.
In order to claim his prize, the 34-year-old father of three had to make a 200-mile drive to state lottery headquarters. With the winning ticket in hand, Gunn and his wife didn't have enough cash to fill their gas tank to make the trip. A friend lent the couple money and 200 miles later they collected a check for $670,000.
The Gunn family had been living near Reno, Nevada until Riley, a project manager for a telecommunications company, was laid off. His wife worked as a customer service representative for a software contractor, but her salary wasn't enough for the family to afford to continue living there. The couple moved when a relative offered their family a small cottage in Oregon.
To get back on their feet, the Gunns were both registering for classes at a community college in hopes of getting their degrees. It was on their way home from there, when they made a pit stop so the kids could eat and stretch their legs. That's when the laid off man made the $1 million decision to buy a lottery ticket. "I just kind of figured this was the kind of place you read about winning the lottery. It's a small town and you never know," Gunn said.
After buying two cars and making an offer on a house, Riley Gunn reveals he plans to use the rest of his $1 million lottery winnings to start his business.
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