Chatham County teacher can buy dream car after $10M scratch-off win

LOUISBURG, N.C. (WTVD) — A Chatham County woman can make her dream car a reality after a massive lottery victory.

Jena Johnson, of Goldston, said she always wanted to own a BMW convertible, and now she can. She went big, buying a $50 scratch-off ticket and won a $10 million top prize.

“I have always wanted it since I was 16,” she laughed.

Johnson, who has been a middle school teacher for more than 20 years, bought her 500X The Cash ticket at the Murphy Express on New Chatham Road in Siler City.

“I kept looking at it thinking, ‘This can’t be,'” she said.

On Thursday, Johnson went to lottery headquarters in Raleigh to collect her money. Given the choice of taking the prize as an annuity of $500,000 a year for 20 years or a lump sum of $6 million, she took the lump sum.

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After required state and federal tax withholdings, she took home $4,320,614.

Johnson said that in addition to getting her BMW, she has other big plans.

“Our daughter just got engaged, and after I won I said, ‘I found a way to pay for the wedding,'” Johnson said.

The 500X The Cash game debuted in January with five top prizes of $10 million and 10 prizes of $250,000. Four $10 million prizes and seven $250,000 prizes remain to be claimed.

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