Winner doesn't need to fix his car anymore — now he can simply buy a new one

By Kate Northrop

A North Carolina man credits his car troubles for a $379,747 lottery jackpot win, saying that if it weren't for needing repairs, he would have never bought the winning ticket.

Thanks to the $379,747 jackpot he won while dealing with auto repair issues, one North Carolina lottery player will no longer have to worry about fixing up his car. Instead, he can simply buy a new one.

Andrzej Kielbon of Matthews had an early morning. He had to drop his car off at the repair shop, but the slight change in routine led to a quick decision that made the entire trip worthwhile.

"I was getting ready to go to the dealership," Kielbon told the North Carolina Lottery. "I woke up a little too early. I would've never played if I didn't get up early."

On Thursday, Kielbon purchased a $2 ticket in a digital instant game called "Bison Bonanza." The game features a progressive jackpot that grows with every ticket purchase.

Kielbon beat the odds of 1 in 15.5 million to win the game's $379,747 "Epic jackpot."

"I just play for fun," he recalled. "I didn't think it was real because I was still half asleep."

He visited Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Friday to claim the prize, taking home a grand total of $271,520 after federal and state taxes.

Rather than worry about paying for the cost of car repairs, Kielbon plans to use the prize money to replace his old car with a new electric vehicle. He'll also take a trip to Hawaii.

The Bison Bonanza jackpot reset to its starting amount of $50,000 with Kielbon's win and currently stands at $59,291. The game is exclusively available on the Lottery's website or mobile app. Players may wager anywhere between 50 cents and $30 in one play, and the odds of winning change depending on the dollar amount spent.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)Andrzej Kielbon had to drop his car off at the repair shop, but the slight change in routine led to a quick decision that made the entire trip worthwhile.