When Foster scratched the first of his new round of tickets, he won nothing. The second ticket, however, contained the big win.

"I saw all those zeros and I froze," Foster said. "I didn't believe it until I gave it to the clerk at the counter to scan. When it showed, 'Go to lottery headquarters,' I started shaking. I couldn't believe it."

Foster claimed his prize on Friday at the lottery's headquarters in Raleigh and went home with $US141,501 after taxes, the statement said. He said he planned to pay his medical bills with some of the money and save the rest.

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"I have good insurance," Foster said. "But there is still some cost. This will make it a whole lot easier."