Local

Forklift driver wins $500K

CARROLLTON, Ga. — A Carrollton forklift driver won $500,000 from the Georgia Lottery.

Walter Crowder, 63, had his eyes on the record Powerball jackpot prize but won a $500,000 top prize playing the new instant game $500,000 Green.

"I was buying Powerball tickets and then I bought this," Crowder said. "I was in the store when I scratched it."

He bought the ticket last week from the USA Food Mart on Alabama Street in Carrollton.

Crowder has worked as a fork lift driver for 33 years and anticipates retiring soon. He and his wife have three adult children and seven grandchildren.
 
"I want to take my time and be cool with this," Crowder said. "I'll put this in a trust fund."
 
Since its first year, the Georgia Lottery Corp. has returned more than $13.8 billion to the state of Georgia for education. All Georgia Lottery profits go to pay for specific educational programs, including Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia's Pre-K Program.

More than 1.4 million students have received HOPE, and more than 1.2 million 4-year-olds have attended the statewide, voluntary prekindergarten program.