By: Richard L. Smith
In New Jersey, traffic headaches are part of everyday life — but for one Essex County resident, an unexpected delay led to a life-changing moment.
According to information released by the New Jersey Lottery, a routine Tuesday afternoon on June 3 turned extraordinary for a local player who found themselves stuck behind a stalled vehicle on Valley Street in South Orange. 
Rather than engage in road rage, the driver made a split-second decision to avoid confrontation and pull into a nearby 7-Eleven — a move that ended in a $600,000 top prize win on a Colossal Crossword Scratch-Off ticket.
“There was a car stopped there. I honked, but the driver didn’t move. I could tell he was glaring at me.
I didn’t want the drama, so I pulled into the 7-Eleven,” the winner recalled. “I said to myself, ‘Let me go get a lottery ticket.’”
The player purchased a Pick-3, a Pick-4, and a $30 scratch-off ticket. The draw games brought in a modest win of over $100, but it was the scratch-off that delivered the real shock.
“I couldn’t see the words at first. Then I saw three… four… and kept going. When I got to seven, I couldn’t breathe.”
Reaching the winning threshold of 10 words, the player used a mobile app to confirm the $600,000 prize.
“I’m thankful to the person that caused me to stop,” the winner said. “In chaos, there’s a blessing.”
It wasn’t the player’s first encounter with luck, having previously won $5,000, $1,000, and $700 in recent months. But this windfall was on another level — both financially and emotionally.
“Maybe six months ago, I had a dream that I was going to win in the Colossal Crossword. So I started buying that. But if it hadn’t been for that other car, I wouldn’t have stopped.”
Now with a fresh six-figure prize, the player says the money comes at a crucial time. “It’s really great to be able to eliminate my debts and help my kids a little.”
Since its creation in 1970, the New Jersey Lottery has contributed nearly $33.7 billion to state programs and services.
Under a 30-year law passed in 2017, lottery profits help support the public employee pension system.