Man Dies In Crash Weeks After Winning Lottery

Apr 19, 2004, 6:11 am (9 comments)

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A northwestern Indiana man who won $9.7 million in a January lottery drawing died when his car struck a utility pole in a rainstorm, police said.

James K. Craig Jr., 43, is the second Indiana man to die this year shortly after winning the lottery. He was pronounced dead about 4:30 a.m. Saturday shortly after the crash on U.S. 231 about 15 miles south of Gary near the town of Winfield.

Lake County police spokesman Michael Higgins said Craig lost control of his 2003 Saturn in rainy conditions, causing it to flip over, strike a utility pole and eject him.

On Jan. 31, the Hebron resident won the $9.7 million Hoosier Lotto jackpot after buying what turned out to be the winning ticket at a Crown Point convenience store.

Craig's best friend, Greg Crnkovich, said that after he won the lottery Craig formed a limited partnership with 16 relatives, including his brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews.

"He bought the ticket for himself but he put others in the group," Crnkovich told the Post-Tribune of Merrillville.

Brian Popp, an attorney who represented Craig, described the Craig family when he collected their prize as "an average Joe family," ranging in age from 3 to 67.

Shortly after winning the lottery, Craig quit his job at Vesuvius USA in Crown Point and was planning some business ventures, Crnkovich said.

"He was real excited, it was a change of life for him," Crnkovich said.

Before Saturday's accident, Craig had been shooting pool in Crown Point and at the time he was driving home "it was raining real bad," Crnkovich said.

Although he didn't have much time to enjoy his fortune, Craig did travel to Cancun and went on a skiing trip to Colorado.

"He just had a big heart for people," Crnkovich said. "If you were any type of friend, he'd give you the shirt off his back. He was more like a brother to me."

Funeral arrangements are being completed by the Burns Funeral Home in Crown Point.

Another Indiana lottery winner died this year soon after claiming his winnings.

In January, Carl D. Atwood, 73, of Elwood, was struck and killed by a pickup truck a few hours after winning $57,000 on the "Hoosier Millionaire" television show. He had been walking to the store where he had bought his winning ticket.

AP

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jeffrey's avatarjeffrey

What is it with Indiana winners. I buy my powerball there but live in Ohio. Guess I don't have to worry.

It is sad about those people. Just goes to show that money can't buy a long life.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

I'm also an Ohioan that buy PowerBall tickets in Indiana when the jackpot is over $100M.  If nobody wins the jackpot this Wednesday, I plan on cashing my December tickets and buy some more tickets for Saturday's $100M+ drawing.

RJOh

Tarzan's avatarTarzan

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            That would be MY kind of luck! At least he had some fun!                                                                                     

DoctorEw220's avatarDoctorEw220

people will naturally get y when good things come their way.  look at jack whittaker.  he got really y, and look where he is now.  i won a crap load in the fall of 2002, got y, and wound up pissing it all away within a month.

CASH Only

I hope he chose CASH!! (article didn't say AFAIK)

gvpazkn's avatargvpazkn

I know a guy, whose uncle won the Texas Lotto, died shortly after collecting $5 mil jackpot. He had 2 sons that would inherit the money, yet even one of them passed on before he got his share. The last living son got it all and seems to be doing fine.....for now.   Go figure!!!!

reddog's avatarreddog

I was under the asumption the lottery winnings were uninheritable. I think that is true in Mega Millions. Is that true?

DoctorEw220's avatarDoctorEw220

oh no.  lottery winnings are inheritable.  for example, if you take the annuity option, and die before you recieve all your payments, your estate gets the remaining payments.  once you get the check, the money is yours, and yours to pass on to your family, should the unthinkable occur.

fja's avatarfja

should have bought a bigger car!

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