Rochester, N.Y. - His math was bad, but his luck was right on the money.
18-year-old Matthew Carter picked up the first check of his $3 million winnings Friday morning. Carter won the jackpot on the Lottery's new $100,000 Spectacular Scratch-Off ticket last month.
Carter says he bought the scratch-off ticket when he noticed that another customer in line purchased a ticket that didn't win. The odds weren't better, but he bought the ticket anyway, figuring that they were.
Either way, the logic proved advantageous.
"I was shocked, no, extremely shocked," said Carter. "Mind boggling. You never think you're going to be the one up here holding the $3 million check."
Carter purchased the ticket August 30th at the Kwik Fill on North Washington Street in East Rochester. As for that first purchase, it didn't take very long for Carter to come up with an answer.
"Now I can buy a few things I've never had before....a Cadillac Escalade."
However, he has since rethought that purchase.
“I'm not just going to go spend it all in one place,” said Carter, “like on a Cadillac Escalade.”
Carter, who still lives at home, wants to use some of the money to help his mom.
“I plan on buying her a house that would be an awesome, awesome idea,” said Carter.
An idea he could never imagine before winning the lottery.
"The odds of coming out here that day -- it's very slim,” said Carter. “But I'm holding the check aren't I?"
Carter, is unemployed and did not graduate high school. He now plans to go back to school to become a mechanic.
