GASTONIA, N.C. — An 18-year-old man in Gastonia who won $1 million playing the North Carolina Education Lottery still goes to work to pick up people’s trash.
Dalton Radford told Channel 9 that he was on his way from his job as a street sanitation employee in Dallas to his other job delivering pizzas.
He stopped at Wills Food Store to get an energy drink and a pair of Carolina Jackpot tickets.
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One of them was the winner.
Radford chose the lump-sum amount of $600,000 and after required state and federal tax withholdings, took home $426,063, lottery officials said.
Radford said he’s still working for the Public Works Department, which surprises some people on his route.
“They’re like, ‘Oh my God. You’re the guy who won a million dollars. Why are still on the back of this trash truck?’” Dalton told Channel 9. “And I tell them, ‘Look, you got to be humble with the money. You have to. You can’t act like you’re better than anybody,’” he said.
His luck continued on his way up to the lottery headquarters in Raleigh.
He bought more lottery tickets and won $200, which covered the gas and food for the trip.
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